We’ve all done some questionable things when we were younger, and Emma Doran is no exception, she makes her Edinburgh Fringe debut with a brand-new stand-up set, which is full of humorous family lore. She does well in making comedy out of situations in her past that sound like they were incredibly hard to navigate. A mother of three, having her first at the age of 18 after an ‘accident’ at a funfair, she cracks relatable anecdotes about the challenges that mothers face, particularly when there is a significant age gap between their children. From the WhatsApp group chat admins to schmoozing the school secretary for clothes in the lost property, there are plenty of laughs to be had.
Doran gets off to a quick start, immediately jumping into a bit about lazy “riding” before delving into the relationship between her parents and growing up in a very traditional Irish household. The material is fairly straightforward but it’s her naturally brilliant delivery and personality that draws the crowd in and keeps it from falling flat. She makes some insightful comments on the complications of co-parenting when a new stepparent is introduced and there are a lot of witty remarks about her daughter’s boyfriend being introduced to the family.
The content throughout the hour is good but it doesn’t offer much in terms of a climax or follow any particular structure. It doesn’t feel messy, it’s just missing something to keep the jokes from feeling quite repetitive.
Emma Doran: Emmaculate, 19:30, Beside at Pleasance Courtyard (additional shows at Cabaret Bar at Pleasance Courtyard) Aug 5-30 (not 12, 19, 26)
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/emma-doran-emmaculate
