Kiri Pritchard-McLean enters the room in a cape, though she doesn’t need it as she has a naturally commanding presence. On stage, a besuited young man sits astride a skateboard which he uses to travel between two overhead projectors with various shadow puppets. At first, I thought this would work as an unnecessary distraction, but it’s actually a helpful memory aid because strap in kids, this story is complicated.
Kiri begins with some cracking gags about her sex drive, what kind of women she doesn’t trust, her Welsh nan and how she likes to make her boyfriend prove his love for her via an unusual roleplay that requires great commitment from both parties. It’s pretty normal for a comedian to do what is essentially some warm-up material in their Edinburgh hour, for Kiri she has to win our trust because this is an uncomfortable show to sit through and it’s important we’re invested from the start.
I don’t want to give anything away, however, this show is about trusting your instincts and toxic influences. Kiri smartly points out how this situation is not exclusive to romantic relationships, it can happen to anybody and it can happen in work, family and friendships as well. I expect plenty of audience members have joined Kiri on this self-discovery and Kiri has done great justice to the importance of this show.
Using a clever device, the audience is taken on the same mental journey (or turmoil) that Kiri went on, it would be easy to descend into a he-said-she-said, but Kiri’s well-informed narrative keeps the thread going for what is her Lemonade.
★★★★★
Kiri Pritchard-McLean: Victim Complex is at 20:00 at Pleasance Courtyard, Bunker Two until 27th August. For tickets and more information click here!
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