Fringe Comedy Reviews: Feminasty and Feminazi
Kirsty Mac's Feminazi and Megan Ford's Feminasty shows both take feminism as their starting point at the Fringe
Megan Ford kicks off Feminasty [★★★☆☆] with a gentle warning that serves as a public service announcement – for the next hour we’re going to be repeatedly hit over the head with anti-patriarchal messages channelled through loud characters wearing bad wigs. A refreshingly honest way to start a show which, while being exactly as promised, is more dynamic than the prologue would have us believe. Ford is on a mission to bring our attention to those areas of our lives where misogyny is now so ingrained we hardly notice it, and all through the lens of serious and outrageous stereotypes. It's not entirely successful, her final call to arms in the form of an extended rap falters almost disastrously, though perhaps Ford is unlucky today with a shy middle-class Saturday afternoon Edinburgh crowd. No matter – a fine comedic turn of phrase, some excellent parodies of Hollywood film trailers, and an infectious personality make this a highly entertaining show with a serious message. Oh, and despite what Ford says, the wigs are excellent…
The rather more severely-titled Feminazi [★★☆☆☆] on the other hand, has little of the imagination and vigour that Megan Ford brings to her overtly pro-feminist hour. If anything, Kirsty Mac’s abrasive routine of late night observational stand-up often obstructs the topic at hand, regularly descending into easy generalisation and lazy, grubby joke telling. She’s charismatic enough to deliver a punchline effectively, but seems more interested in her bottle of beer than the audience. The heart of the show centres around Mac’s story of how last year she helped to kick dating coach and professional misogynist Julien Blanc out of Australia: a tale of personal struggle and ideological protest which might be compelling, exciting and involving in the hands of a capable storyteller. Unfortunately Mac takes too long to get past the sub-par club comedy to the story and then hurries through the details with little flair, leaving it to fall flat in front of a now-disinterested audience. As the show ends after 45 minutes it feels like a wholly missed opportunity, and while such a bold and feisty approach to getting the message across is admirable, on this occasion it’s much less effective.
Megan Ford: Feminasty, Underbelly George Square, until 31 Aug, 2:50pm, £7-9
Kirsty Mac: Feminazi, Gilded Balloon, until 31 Aug, 11:15pm, £10