To say Kiri Pritchard-McLean is fearless is an understatement, having previously tackled the subject of sexism in comedy in her show Hysterical Woman, Kiri’s new show Appropriate Adult is about her experience volunteering with young people in Manchester, a desire to be both a good and cool mum and adoption.
For a genre in which apparently nothing is taboo (if you can put the right spin on it), comedy tends to stick to the same subjects. No comedy night is complete without some jokes on singledom, religion and, if you’re feeling edgy, a paedophile joke thrown in for good measure. These often come off as unoriginal, ill researched and lazy. In contrast Kiri’s material is considered and original, unpicking millennial anxieties over maternal instinct, which she uses as a background for discussing the young woman she mentored whilst volunteering with sensitivity and, yeah I’m going to say it, aplomb.
This makes for a very interesting show which Kiri has cleverly paced. Given the subject material there are upsetting moments in this hour of comedy and she quite rightly doesn’t let up on those who she thinks are to blame for the various situations brought up. However the comedian never descends into ranting, rather Kiri truly tells it like it is and it’s fun, interesting and important. A harder balance to strike than you might think.
★★★★
Kiri Pritchard-McLean is at the Pleasance Courtyard Attic at 20:15 until 28th August. For tickets and more information click here!
