Hannah Platt ambles on stage, the picture of Scouse friendliness, full of genuine smiles and a lovely rapport with the crowd. It’s a bit of a super-power connection, never wavering as she opens up the petals of her stories to share her soft underbelly of bullies, dates, and a complicated relationship with her mother. All delivered with a delicious use of language and a mental spark that tells of being absolutely fully present.
Chipper, likeable, a gift with a turn of phrase, engagingly candid throughout, scary-vulnerable at times, this is a deep dive into Platt’s own mental health intelligently and articulately thought through. Her English degree informs the dissection of themes within her life well, of suicidal thoughts, family relationships, and her coming out story. Of particular interest is her unpacking of how her LGBT identity, body dysmorphia and the male gaze connect – like joining up the dots and seeing a fine high end illustration coming into focus. There’s a lot of informative and interesting titbits Platt shares, whilst also keeping one eye firmly on the humour in truth, about the way she has seen her own physicality. It’s a gift for any comic, especially in their debut show, to connect personal disclosure to larger human questions without spoon-feeding generic answers.
Platt is seeking approval, still, but less so for her external appearance – more for her comedic talents as she mock-checks in for response. She has them, and although the warm room made for a quieter audience it was not for lack of talent on her part.
Hannah Platt: Defence Mechanism, 20.10, Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker Two, Until August
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on#q=%22Hannah%20Platt%3A%20Defence%20Mechanism%22
