Comedy

Review

Review: Lauren Pattison @ Edinburgh Fringe

Lady Muck is intensely raw, beautiful and very, very funny.

Only a special brand of comedy can make you laugh out loud in the midst of a tale of torturous heartbreak. At one moment during Lauren Pattison’s brilliant Lady Muck, I find myself wiping away a tear as she tells the tale of her now ex-boyfriend, who vanished out of her life without a word as she moved down to London to follow her dreams.

This emotion might not be what everyone would expect from an hour at Edinburgh Fringe, but it’s far from unwanted. Pattison delivers it with her abundant northern charm, extracting the genuine humour from her self-admitted depression. The hardest year of her life, her words, has helped create a unashamed emotional rollercoaster of a show.

The funny moments come from her retelling of events that have led her to Edinburgh Fringe. Among the heartbreak are tales of self-discovery, her acceptance of her own skin, somewhat literally, and her eventual realisation that she is, in fact, powerful.

Pattison attacks the easily offended, takes on male chauvinism with perfect form, and even pulls a brilliant gag out of a rather uncomfortable first date. She thrives on her Geordie stereotypes, tonight picking out a couple sipping Prosecco to the side of the stage. “You are my absolute couple goals,” she exclaims early on.

This balance of laughs and heartbreak works wonderfully, leaving the ultimate message that a leopard will never change it spots. It is beautiful just the way it is. Few shows at the Fringe pack this much of an emotional punch, making the laughs and the tears truly special.

Lauren Pattison performs Lady Muck at Edinburgh Fringe until the 28 August. She performs at Pleasance Courtyard at 17:45.