Laughing Horse @ Finnegan’s Wake (Venue 101)
***
In a room packed with people, at least 25 per cent of whom have alcoholically altered sensitivities and no real idea where they are, ÂMartha McBrier drives her delightful, tragi-comic tale of broken hearts and embedded maths, potassium highs and emotional lows into the drunken spin and brings it all under her control. Teacher who falls victim of a school in search of a good Ofsted Ârating, victim of a vicious gang Âmugging who rises to be a Good Samaritan, ÂMartha is both and much more. Her shows are very personal affairs, this one more than most. She is a phenomenal comic but this is her in storyteller mode and she makes her audience part of her life for an hour.
She never sacrifices the Ânarrative to lever in a Âpointless gag but you will laugh because she can make any story Âfunny. That is her gift. You will laugh, you might cry, your blood pressure will rise and your respect for the education department will fall, you will sing and you will be her friend for life.
Until 27 August. Today 5pm.