Things I don’t have in common with Amy Gledhill:
- I haven’t tit-flashed the Queen yet
Things I do have in common with Amy Gledhill:
- I used to pretend rocks were my pets
- I picked out the runtiest animal in the pet shop (a guinea-pig that pooed itself to death)
- I too have done the work of repairing and preparing a number of men for their final* partner (*we’ll see)
The Girl Before The Girl You Marry is a journey through Amy’s previous romances, where she has noticed a trend of breaking up with men only for them to get married really soon after. Amy calls people like us “human property developers”, who sweep in and zhuzh up a bloke so he’s fit for the next owner, with a lifetime guarantee.
Amy has decided her audience is “the bullied”: people who, like her, might have dragged a rock around pretending it was a puppy, or been a ballroom dancing child, apparently the creepiest hobby a kid can have — evidenced by telling her classmates she had diseased elbows because she didn’t want to admit to being slathered in fake tan by her mum.
She teases a particularly juicy story and leaves us waiting for it until the end, and ooh boy the reveal is worth it — just you wait. But all of the stories she tells are juicy enough that the audience is enraptured for every second running up to the big climax. There is not one second’s lull.
Amy provides proper belly laughs. It’s a cliché to say, but she’s a comic of such natural ability that from the first few seconds she has the entire room entranced. It would be easy for her to sink into this, but as relaxed as she is, what really matters is that this show simply is an hour of very good jokes, well-paced and uproariously received.
This is her first solo stand-up show, but you’ll know her from sketch double act The Delightful Sausage, who were deservedly nominated for the Best Show award back when we last had those pre-pando (the pair are back this year with a new and completely marvellous show, Nowt But Sea, while Chris Cantrill is also doing his first solo show).
It can feel a little unsettling when a portion of a beloved comedy act peels off to do solo work, but there’s no need to worry; with Amy, you’re in the best hands.
★★★★★
Amy Gledhill: The Girl Before The Girl You Marry is at Monkey Barrel Carnivore 2 at 15:30 until 28th August, for tickets visit EdFringe.com
