Heidi Regan @ Voodoo Rooms
Heidi Regan returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with a fresh, offbeat and idiosyncratic hour of standup
There’s something a little otherworldly about Heidi Regan’s comedy; a sense of offbeat playfulness that arises partly out of her delight in fantasy worlds and time travel. She happily admits to being very much in touch with her inner nerd, and it’s charming for the audience who get to enjoy her gently idiosyncratic perspective for an hour.
She is trying at the whole adulthood thing though, with the assistance of her fiancée, who encourages her to make lists, and avoid her daydreaming procrastination (not booking the train ticket, not making the call). Their relationship is at the heart of the show, celebrating its fun and its sweetness. With the help of her trusty slideshow Regan invites us into her life, from the sexy elf roleplay to the difficulties of the couple’s IVF journey. The nerd theme continues with a glance at some of the texts between her and her brother, all communication managed strictly through the medium of Lord of the Rings memes.
Regan has a nice line in self-deprecating meta commentary: telling us about modifications made to jokes, and exploring her attachment to one unpopular gag, stubbornly committed despite all the evidence against it. The show feels fresh and spontaneous, but also rather scrappy. This seems deliberate, but it’s not wholly satisfying.
The discussion of IVF allows her to address the chronic underfunding and mismanagement of the NHS with a typically light touch. Despite the frustrations, Regan remains undaunted, and the show ends with a video that is both testimony to the couple’s love, and to her belief in the power of jokes.
Heidi Regan Gives Birth Live on Stage Every Night or Your Money Back, Voodoo Rooms (French Quarter), until 28 Aug, 5.55pm, free unticketed, pay-what-you-can after show