Sara Barron, an American comic anchored in the UK, delivers a masterclass in how to deal with high-strung parents, relationship trouble, and irritating husbands. Her material draws almost exclusively from her personal life – an image of her mother even hangs ominously over the entire show – and the glimpse you are allowed into Barron’s insane world provides a whirlwind of bewilderment and riotous laughter. You end her show just wishing to meet the larger-than-life, oddball figure that is Barron’s mother.
From berating her husband for simply falling over, to an absurd, drawn-out morning routine, Barron’s mother is presented as an impenetrable martinet, absolutely unshakeable in her strange rules and convictions. Barron uses all of her mum’s absurdities to craft some wild flights of fancy and sneakily clever punchlines and anecdotes. It’s not all mum material, however, and the show is made by Barron’s flamboyant and energetic persona; she glides about the stage, arms protruding, hips swivelling in a raw display of physical comedy which will have you doubling over as much as her quips will.
While most of her material is impressively original and cutting, she does occasionally wade into shallow tropes such as men not talking about anything important; she almost makes it work due to her sheer presence and unique delivery, but these are jokes we have heard far too often. She really doesn’t have to tell them considering the sea of quality material she swims in – an aside about eavesdropping on strangers on the bus was another highlight. Barron also delivers a skilful conclusion to her show with another ludicrous mum story, and just when you think she’s about to contrive an emotional end to her hour, she flips the switch on you quite brilliantly.
Sara Barron: Anything For You, 16.45, Monkey Barrel, until August 25
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/sara-barron-anything-for-you