Mae Martin new show Us has a more measured and mature slant compared to her previous shows. Mae explores LGBTQ issues, the peculiarity of expecting people to pick a sexuality at 13, her high school drop out years and what it’s like to come out of a long term ‘relaish’.
Creating comedy out of queer theory and gender binaries might be a challenge to some but it comes naturally to Mae, who makes the spectrum of gender easier to understand by explaining it with characters from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Mae also discusses her friends difficulty in accepting she might date a guy. It seems she lied to them with a short haircut.
Of course you can’t truly experience comedy without a little tragedy. I think many people in the audience had a lump in their throat as Mae talked about why she rejects Lady Gaga’s pop gay package which continues to ‘other’ the LGBTQ community.
Mae worried as she discussed the homophobia she has experienced in London that her stand up was turning into a TED talk but with the help of her mum (give it up for Wendy Martin) she brought it back to end on a big laugh.
★★★★★
Mae Martin is at Laughing Horse at the City Cafe 22nd-30th August 9.30pm. For more information click here!
