Jay Lafferty @ Gilded Balloon

Jay Lafferty’s Wheesht! makes for an amusing and thoughtful hour but lacks punch

Review by Yasmin Hackett | 10 Aug 2018

Jay Lafferty is a staple on the Scottish comedy scene. In Wheesht! she demonstrates why, setting the crowd at ease by flexing her finesse for audience interaction. Wheesht! is a way of saying ‘shush’, and over the course of the hour, Lafferty knits together a show based on the idea of talking too much, as well as discussion about her own reasons for wanting to listen more. This is an idea that only properly develops toward the end of the show, however. While there is plenty of humour to be found in Lafferty’s material about people being so vocal with their opinions these days, some of it at times lacks bite. 

A great deal of fun comes when Lafferty talks about her loud childhood. She intersperses the stories with some great gags in this section and creates a vivid picture of her childhood too. For the final act there is a moving discussion of the #MeToo campaign and why she’s remained silent on it so far: including a very entertaining story about a time she used silence for the greater good. Wheesht! is certainly a strong and entertaining hour, but it's without a little oomph.


Jay Lafferty: Wheesht!, Gilded Balloon, Teviot Row House (Turret), 1-27 Aug (not 20), £10-6

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