DeAnne Smith: Livin' The Sweet Life

Montreal-based comedienne DeAnne Smith returns to the Fringe with an upbeat show about how sweet life can be, for the most part. With a bowl of sweets and a bottle of wine on a table, the stage is set for Smith to emerge and sing a cutesy song with her ukulele about… our inevitable death.

Her adorably geeky appearance (she compares herself to Harry Potter) and positive demeanour let her get away with a lot, including pushing the limit of how many times one can repeat the world ‘vulva’ out loud before it becomes socially unacceptable.

Endearing, smart and totally unpretentious, Smith explains what makes her life so good, from her awkward relationships with the ladies to her first experience getting waxed by a stranger. She pushes her own insecurities to the forefront of her comedy and lets us laugh about them with her.

Eventually, Smith veers her show into a more political direction, tackling first world guilt, racism and more such fun stuff. The transition between knife-throwing and porn jokes to commentary on how the world is fucked feels a bit abrupt, but nothing like a little lapdance to remind us we’re livin’ the sweet life. Be bold, sit in the front and you might get a few treats.