Several people have used lists to great effect in recent years – Chris Jericho in his later WWE run, Buzzfeed, and, of course, king of them all: Santa Claus.
But it’s Taylor Swift that Hannah Fairweather draws inspiration from in her strong debut hour at the Fringe, Just a Normal Girl Who Enjoys Revenge.
Fairweather is a huge fan of Taylor Swift – as you’ll notice from the pre-show soundtrack – and borrows from Look What You Made Me Do to create a list of all those who have wronged her in a varied life so far.
She can empathise with Swift all too well, having been constantly up against the man in the misogynistic worlds of golf, accountancy and now comedy, and she’s not going to tolerate it.
The list is a great device to structure the show around, but the show is at its best when she decides to shake it off and let her writing, which is packed with great gags, call-backs and a cohesive narrative throughout shine.
She covers why her accent doesn’t quite tally with the fact she’s Scottish, the pitfalls of going to university on a golf scholarship in the deep south, and all those over the years with whom she’s developed bad blood.
Long story short, with a really strong writing style and a stage presence that will only get stronger over time, Fairweather’s is a show that is definitely worth adding to your list this August – perhaps best to avoid, though, if your name is Lucie (with an ie).
★★★★
Hannah Fairweather: Just A Normal Girl Who Enjoys Revenge, Just The Tonic at The Caves, until August 28 (excl 15) hannahfairweathercomedy.com
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