Comedy review: Wicked Wenches, The Stand, Glasgow

A MIDDLING midweek showcase of female talent this, amusing enough but without any standout performances.

Compere Susan Calman was assured as ever, recounting a long-running argument she shares with her wife about her fantasy role in the TV series The West Wing, a solid routine that bodes well for her forthcoming Fringe return. Eleanor Morton ploughs a well-worn furrow, that of the whimsical girl-with-a-guitar crooning her psychotic thoughts. And while she has some nice lines on her grandfather’s relationship advice and The Secret Millionaire, the songs aren’t distinctive. American import Sarah Cassidy opens well with her methods of handling anti-US prejudice. But she takes a huge risk by bringing out a succession of shocking real headlines, never quite mining enough humour to justify unsettling the audience. As with Morton, a couple of promising setups are allowed to simply peter out with a shrug. The more experienced Viv Gee committed the cardinal sin of abandoning an anecdote as she’d overrun. Regardless, her material on texting and social networking lacks the spark of her early filth and admission of senior moments. Finally, half-Croatian Kiwi Jan Maree blew onstage with a brassy, in-your-face charm and effective punchlines.

Rating: ***