Kate Dolan @ Monkey Barrel Comedy
Trout, Kate Dolan's new powerhouse of an hour, will have you giggling like a fish
The world still isn’t ready for a loud, weird woman. That’s fine – Kate Dolan is going to be a trout instead! The trout, the most enviable of creatures: scaled of body and smooth of brain. And Dolan’s really gone the extra mile to fit in with her aquatic object of envy, entering the stage wearing a custom-made trout mask which, she assures us, with a mixture of pride and buyers’ remorse, cost more than we think. Things weren’t always this way, though. She used to want to be a dancer. I should mention here that Dolan is a fantastic dancer, rounding out her set with a dance number that encapsulates her outlandishly expressive yet honest style of comedy.
Now, it takes quite a lot to get a person to the point where they want to be a trout. As absurd of an image as it is, it’s also an introduction to Dolan’s recognition of the self-destructive behaviour that can arise when you spend all your time wishing to be someone – or something – else. Dolan’s raw honesty about her mental health, her experiences with PMDD, and even a suicide attempt thwarted by the installation of a rather dystopian ‘anti-suicide cage’ are like buckets of water thrown over the audience. Yet even in these moments, the laughter never stops.
No matter whether you’re stunned into silence or riding the ‘imagination train’ with her, Dolan has you right where she wants you. She refuses to allow her audience to shrink back when she comes at them with an outrageous joke about, say, doing anal whilst on the move. The moment she sees you flinch, she’s on you; be brave, she seems to say. Have a laugh.
The great thing about Kate Dolan is that you want to laugh with her; on stage, she oozes confidence from every pore. Her bold performance transforms the small Monkey Barrel stage into Dolan’s own personal playground where she can dance, sing, and joke to her heart’s content. All the while, she’s laughing loudest of all, and it’s a joy to be able to laugh along with her.
Kate Dolan: Trout, Monkey Barrel (MB2), until 30 Aug, £13.50-£15.50