Michelle Shaughnessy has it all, can do it all and she is here to show us exactly that. This show is a fantastic hour of buzzing energy and free-flowing laughter. In her Fringe debut Michelle tells Edinburgh her life story through a set of hilarious, tragic, and hilariously tragic anecdotes.
The instantly likeable Shaughnessy disarms the audience from the off by explaining her often unfortunate childhood. The vulnerability she shows is commendable, but it has to be said, trauma has never been so funny. Her powerfully descriptive way of guiding us through her time at school and her dysfunctional family make you feel like you have known this comic for years.
It is at this point, when the audience is already captivated, that Michelle begins to tell of her life as a woman. She toys with female stereotypes of being the crazy ex or having an underwhelming sex life and she delivers these lines with such pizazz that the only possible response is side-splitting laughter. All the while she’ll interject with questions for the audience that never once disrupts the flow of her show. These interactions are often some of the highlights, listening to people’s dismay or total approval of Michelle’s most recent mishap. She is charismatic and relatable and has created a set that is totally accessible comedy gold.
‘Be Your Own Daddy’ is a phenomenally apt title for the resonance of the show. It is not an hour of disjointed gags about being a woman, it is a story of growth; how this woman and her experiences have made her who she is today. Shaughnessy will be the first to admit that not every single thing about her body is real but there is no question that she is. It is a truly empowering and inspiring performance that is underlined with the sentiment of owning your own destiny and making the best of what you have got. The whole room is on her side, and I would be amazed if you weren’t as well, definitely go and see this show.
Michelle Shaughnessy: Be Your Own Daddy, 20:30 at Bristo Square (Venue 302)
August 3 – 14, 16 – 29
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on#q=%22Michelle%20Shaughnessy%3A%20Be%20Your%20Own%20Daddy%22
