Krystal Evans @ Monkey Barrel

Krystal Evans’ story is one of survival in many forms, yet her delivery is so relaxed and wry that it feels like listening to a new friend recount her life story over drinks. Except here Evans skips small talk, opening instead with a brilliantly crafted animated music video chronicling her childhood and summarising her previous show, The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp – about growing up poor in America with a mentally ill mother and surviving a devastating house fire. The show definitely starts with a bang.

One of the show’s highlights is Evans reading aloud from her teenage journals, perfectly capturing the whiplash of adolescent thought – with unabashedly horny musings preceded by her reflections on the events of 9/11. Her tales from her twenties, working as a bartender in New York and the Caribbean, sometimes meander, but her quick wit retains engagement.

There’s a gossipy thrill to stories about an infamous short-lived member of the previous Trump presidency, kitchen porter knife fights, and wealthy customers wetting themselves – all illustrating the unpredictable chaos that is service work.

Surreal touches, like a colour-shifting Santa on the beaches of Barbados or the universal problem-solving magic of blue roll, add playful texture. Beneath the humour, the show’s core is Evans’ long-suppressed dream of becoming a stand-up comedian — a goal repeatedly postponed by hospitality jobs, a move to Scotland with her chef husband, and personal challenges including miscarriage and the eventual birth of her baby boy. 

Evans is an engaging, self-aware storyteller, but this hour occasionally loses momentum, with some transitions feeling loosely stitched together. Still, her mix of absurd detail, candid vulnerability, and wry delivery makes A Star is Burnt an enjoyable, if uneven, hour that suggests she’s only just beginning to tap her full potential.

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Krystal Evans: A Star is Burnt, Monkey Barrel (MB2), until 24 Aug, 7.10pm, £10-15