Kiri Pritchard-McLean: Hysterical Woman

There's been a lot of progress made regarding women in comedy (to the point where the phrase "women in comedy" feels like a redundant distinction), but Kiri Pritchard-McLean proves there's still work to be done with the thought-provoking Hysterical Woman. 

Dispelling myths and tackling bigotry head on is a brave route to take for your debut Fringe standup hour, but she balances the political weight of her argument nicely against the obvious prerequisite of making jokes. Her show has the enlightenment of a TED Talk (in case any among the audience do harbour prejudices, she's got the statistics ready to debunk them), but there are almost as many sharp intakes of breath as there are laughs. Its political value is probably greater than its creative value, but to still be this funny while rallying against oppression is no mean feat. 

Sometimes her material lacks satirical bite; she's got the facts to dispatch her sexist opponents, so why not poke more fun at them while she's at it? Generally, though, she's endearingly earnest and bristling with sharp observations. Pritchard-McLean herself doesn't have anything to worry about it when it comes to the claims that women aren't funny, but her fight is greater in scope than just her own personal interests. 

Perhaps she is preaching to the converted, but it's a necessary and important cross to bear. What she loses in outright humour she gains in eye-opening social commentary.