Tamsyn Kelly @ Monkey Barrel Comedy
In Rat's Ass, Tamsyn Kelly takes a few too many tangents from the show's central theme – the comedy industry's disregard of working class acts
Rat’s Ass is a curious show. At its heart, this is a show about the arts. A show that challenges the creative industry, specifically in how it lends itself to upper class backgrounds while shunning the working classes. It’s a conversation we’re in dire need of and as Kelly herself says “the most important conversation at the Fringe should be how we are all here, and how we are affording this.”
The show details the lengths in which artists from working-class backgrounds have to stoop to in order to get a sniff of their dreams, while simultaneously acknowledging how these same depths don’t need to be plunged to by creatives with a wealthier background. Kelly reiterates that even in this sweaty, dimly lit venue, this is her dream and a privilege, despite the turbulent journey it took to get here.
Interspersed throughout are an onslaught of tangents that distract from the show's focal point, to the extent that the overarching theme is left cloudy and not nearly as crystalline as it could be. These diversions don’t hold the weight or acerbic bite that the show deserves, with segments being reducible to either ‘rich girls love horses’ or ‘having ADHD is annoying’. These ploys at common ground muddy the water of what could otherwise be a heated rebuttal against the industry's forgiven weaknesses. There is a rightful anger that feels present in the room throughout, but when that anger is directed at the audience, it creates a peculiar atmosphere.
Flitting between growing up poor, her theatrical training and becoming an OnlyFans creator, the hour plays out like an introduction to Kelly. With haphazard callbacks and a lacklustre finale, we’re left wishing it pushed further. There is a show here which is more visceral, more irate and more honest, but Rat’s Ass presents a conflicted performer, unable to dive headlong into their beliefs for now.
The heart of this show is a fresh and necessary argument that aims to combat privileged norms and expose misconceptions. Rat’s Ass is fighting the good fight. It just needs more confidence.
Tamsyn Kelly: Rat's Ass, Monkey Barrel Comedy (Cab Vol 2), until 30 Aug (not 19), 4.20pm, £13.50/£12.50