I first saw Kerry in the inaugural Funny Women Awards in 2003. She was given highly recommended status rather than a place in the face of some hot competition that included winner Sarah Adams as Jade The Folk Singer and runners up Ria Lina and Anna Keirle. Kerry has gone on to perfect the art of stand up in a down-to-earth accessible chatty style that has also put her in the casting line for some amazing roles as a comic actress, notably as Hannah in Ricky Gervais’s comedy drama, 'Derek'.
10 years on and Kerry has returned to the Fringe after a three year break. She’s been saving it all up and has lots to say about marriage, motherhood and more. The material is intrinsically female and inclusively entertaining with men and women evenly represented in her audience.
The journey takes you through Kerry’s frustrations about over engineered white goods, social media etiquette, and her small children’s loud and inappropriate observations of people and things in public. Most of us identify with this stuff and even the technically smug amongst us are powerless in the depths of her articulate and hilarious romp through life’s challenges.
Kerry cocks a snook at the world of fashion, bows to peer pressure to get her hair ‘sun kissed’ ahead of performing in Edinburgh and expresses the horror and amazement that we all identify with at the cost (both in terms of money and dignity) of such narcissism. She is revisiting this through the eyes of parenting two small children and says out loud what most of us have silently thought about.
It is a ‘must see’ show in a small venue. My guess is that it will be full to the brim this week and if you go as a result of hearing her on the radio or seeing her on television, you won’t be disappointed with her stand up. There’s no costumes, props, film clips or Powerpoint – just a very funny woman on stage with a mic. Unmissable.
Lynne Parker
You can see Kerry Godliman in Face Time at The Stand in Edinburgh until Sunday 24th August, for more information click here!
