Molly McGuinness @ Monkey Barrel
Slob is a loveable and authentic debut hour from Mancunian comedian Molly McGuinness
Molly McGuinness isn’t a slob, even if she thinks of herself as one – even if she has good reason. In this authentic dissection and celebration of working class people and culture, Slob is a loveable, charismatic ride. Molly McGuinness plays into the hands of a traditional Edinburgh debut with gusto: solid passages about her background, former jobs, and a 40-minute-mark bombshell are all framed with a lightly surreal edge which gives the hour a real flair.
McGuinness bowls you over with charm and warmth from the get-go – the free buffet she provides, her love of Meat Loaf, her special method of drinking her pint on stage – it’s like going for a cuppa at your Nan’s, if your Nan was Mancunian to her core, incredibly daft and wore electric blue eyeliner.
Slob’s also full of heart, intertwining her tale of medical emergency with romance in the ICU (whilst showcasing the brilliance and generosity of the NHS). Her fondness for people and the human condition shines through to create an hour so relaxed and positive that you feel looked after, just as she was.
It’s perhaps not quite as tightly written as it could be, and will surely tighten up across the month, but Slob is a hugely enjoyable hour of comedy with a brand new friend you just know you’ll return to every Fringe. Now stick your leather jacket on, have a shot of sourz, and queue up Paradise By The Dashboard Lights on the karaoke machine.
Molly McGuinness: Slob, Monkey Barrel (Cab Vol 2), until 24 Aug (not 12), 2.55pm, £7-10