Mary Bourke: Hail Mary

Mary Bourke introduces her show Hail Mary by warning us that this will not adhere to the conventions of the typically successful Edinburgh Fringe setlist; there will be no overarching emotional narrative, there won’t be a big reveal, she won’t be using powerpoint, instead there will be jokes. There are jokes, by the truckload, and they are some of the most disarming and expertly constructed you'll find on the Fringe. Indeed, in less certain hands a segment in which tweets are judged would seem trite, but Bourke’s obvious skill is such that the audience are never less than utterly delighted.

Her reverence towards a relatively stripped-back stand up style doesn’t come at the expense of a lack of depth. One of the truly impressive achievements of Hail Mary is her thoroughly assured dressing-down of misogyny in comedy, as well as a readiness to apply her biting wit to genuine women’s issues, rather than indulging in the self-loathing Bourke concedes too often defines female standups. But whether she is satirizing Mumsnet and Fifty Shades of Grey or the East Coast/West Coast rap wars, Bourke’s persona as the cool and collected Anjelica Huston of standup and her keen observations of the comedy world make Hail Mary an accomplished and thoroughly enjoyable work.