Eleanor Morton @ The Stand
A strong hour about sexism from Fringe favourite Eleanor Morton
Eleanor Morton has reinvented herself: dressed as if she lives for the sesh, with a squeaky American voice and armed with jokes about keeping men’s jizz in her fridge. This is Eleanor 2.0; a creation to combat anxiety caused by the comedy business.
The hour shines a spotlight on sexism in her industry, as well as wider societal norms enforced on women, with the main focus on image. It may sound like a preachy show, but Morton’s trademark awkwardness cuts through any holier-than-thou position potentially expected from other comedians. It’s also a poignant one when the recent, tragic death of Eurydice Dixon, a young Australian comedian raped and murdered after a gig, is mentioned, and rightly justifies Morton's premise. It calls out lazy, sad, male comedians too who can seemingly get away with saying anything and use navel-gazing and sad Green Day songs as a punchline.
At times, the appearance of Eleanor 2.0 feels a little uneven with her usual stage presence, and the physical transformation into 'sad male comedian' seems a bit parachuted it at times. But this is a clever social commentary from a comedian willing to go beyond the normal comfort zone.
Eleanor Morton: Great Title, Glamorous Photo, The Stand Comedy Club (3), 1-25 Aug (not 2, 13 & 20), 12:05pm, £7-9
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