After the success of her Edinburgh Fringe debut Dark Horse, Sarah Keyworth had created a hard act for herself to follow. Particularly as she is discussing some similar themes, such as gender roles, identity and sexuality. But why not? It’s something cis-het people make a big deal of and it’s something, therefore, that Keyworth frequently finds herself thinking about.
Pacific, however, is more personal, with Keyworth looking at the macro and the microcosm of how she sees herself and how the world sees her. This includes revealing details of Sarah’s relationship with her comedian girlfriend and how it has evolved over the years and their emerging roles in their relationship – I’m not saying Sarah explains one’s ‘the man’ and one’s ‘the woman’, but we do leave knowing who’s the cat and who’s the dog here.
The disparity in how she sees herself and a trauma fuels Sarah’s desire to take on a bit of toxic masculinity. Not as in get rid of it, but to actually adopt some of its damaging characteristics. It’s a fascinating take on gender binary that gently dissects the nuances between being cis but not adhering to gender stereotypes and being trans, how sexual harassment can be interpreted by the gender divide and… haircuts. I think I did as much nodding as I did laughing over the course of the hour.
This is an incredibly endearing (sorry, a big boy) performance with some fantastic gags woven expertly into the narrative. A must see.
★★★★
Sarah Keyworth: Pacific is at the Pleasance Courtyard at 17:45 until 25th August. For tickets and more information click here!
Funny Women are at the Edinburgh Fringe with five shows, from 19th – 23rd August, a Funny Women Awards 2019 semi-final, a Stand Up to Stand Out workshop and a Meet Up. Come find us!
There’s still time to nominate a women-led show for the 2019 Funny Women Awards’ Best Show Category! The show with the most nominations will be picked! Nominate a show you have seen or your own show by 31st August here!
