Sara Pascoe vs History @ Assembly 2

Review by Calum McMillan | 26 Aug 2014

Sara Pascoe's latest Edinburgh fringe show is engaging, entertaining and genuinely enlightening. But it is also an incredibly slow burner.

It's important not to take this as a reason not to see the show. If you appreciate sincere and thoughtful comedy you will find plenty to enjoy here, but the pace of the show takes a while to pick up. By the second half, Pascoe is delivering entertaining lectures on sperm, the realities of boy band stalking, sex in your 30s and the startling resemblances between a woman's vagina and a man's face.

Oddly, some of the most entertaining moments of the show come from unexpected interruptions and audience interactions. While not as hard hitting as her commentary on relationships or the deserved, but gentle, prodding of the liberal left-wing these brief distractions provide the most laugh out loud elements of the evening. Which is no bad thing, if anything it emphasises Pascoe's skill at engaging an audience. Those interruptions do mess with the show's momentum though.

Vs History is a remarkably sincere show, and it makes some eloquent points that are certain to provoke a bit of soul searching in some people. But it does take a while to get there. Ultimately it's a journey that's absolutely worth taking.

Sara Pascoe vs History @ Assembly 2, 1-25 Aug, 8.15pm, SOLD OUT