Jain Edwards @ Underbelly Bristo Square

Candid and relaxed, Jain Edwards opens She-Devil with tales of her emotionally distant partner, McAnthony. The delivery is warm and engaging as she details his samurai sword collection and his subreddit escapades. The toxic antics of McAnthony are not in isolation, as the show slowly reveals a myriad of men in Edward’s life that have left a trail of uncomfortable or confrontational interactions, including her Uncle Plod or local comedian Bobby Jokes. 

She-Devil details these encounters without ever feeling violently anti-men, but the blending of the autobiographical with fictitious surrealism makes the set difficult to invest in emotionally. What could be a poignant, introspective section commenting on trauma or misogyny is quickly undercut by flights of fancy that are simultaneously too removed from the story's heart to maintain emotional momentum, and too thin on jokes to develop or enhance the show's narrative. 

This is an ongoing battle with She-Devil: Edwards' more alternative persuasions aren’t developed enough to propel any new or exciting direction to the gags, instead continuously preventing the show from landing comedically or emotionally. When the story wants you to invest, the character Edwards has created is so hyperbolically bland it becomes difficult to keep engaged.

The ever increasing selection of Russian dolls that grace the stage, each representing a different man in her life, do little to develop the story and instead just seem to tick an ‘alternative’ box. There is a storyteller in Edwards but her flair for weirdness is used too sparingly for it to really find its footing. As quips about Zorbing intersperse the central narrative of betrayal, the heartfelt moments become muted and the surreal moments feel jarring. This habit routinely stunts the potential of She-Devil as the otherwise immediately likeable Edwards fumbles between which voice takes the lead throughout the hour.

---

Jain Edwards: She-Devil, Underbelly Bristo Sq (Daisy), run ended