There’s a surprisingly widespread assumption among the general public that comedians don’t write their material. Rather, they simply walk on stage and are funny. I’m sure a lot of comedians wish that was the case, but actually, a lot of blood, sweat, and previews go into creating a good hour of comedy. However, if Lauren Pattison said to me that she does just walk on stage and be funny, I would be inclined to believe her.
Few performers are so natural on stage, in spite of Lauren’s self-confessed anxiety that is so acute she informs the audience that at no point will she make eye contact. The beauty of Lauren’s comedy is not that it’s high-concept or chockful of props and twists, it’s pure comedy and that’s not easy.
You could easily describe the show as an hour of storytelling, but that wouldn’t be accurate. Yes, Lauren talks about her break-up, her lockdown, and why she decided to leave London for her native Newcastle. But this isn’t a collection of amusing anecdotes, it’s jokes written and woven so deftly together they tell a story.
It’s this skill that allows Lauren to once again address the issue of class in comedy, a recurring theme for her because comedy, the industry she loves and works in, is so blind to its incessant middle-classness, causing comedy to be inaccessible to too many people and not the meritocracy many comedians like to think it is.
This manifests best when Lauren describes how, during lockdown, comedians lost live gigs and therefore their income. It’s a bit of a mystery how a lot of comedians managed to get by, perhaps some were lucky enough to have family to support them, maybe some had savings but one would have to guess many comics on the live circuit must have had to get ordinary day jobs. Lauren was one of the few who were open about getting a job, namely in Morrissons. There’s no bitterness about this, but it’s clear Lauren believes the industry could be improved with some transparency on income.
In her third Edinburgh Fringe show, Lauren once again proves why she’s one of the most important voices on the comedy circuit.
★★★★
Lauren Pattison: It Is What It Is is at Monkey Barrel at 12:30 until 28th August. For tickets click here!