Kate Berlant @ Assembly George Square

Kate Berlant is a rising star across the pond, known for improvisational and absurdist skill that have earned her acclaim from the likes of the New Yorker. The show follows a very loose structure, with Berlant relying more on improvisation and repartee with the audience than on any written jokes. This makes it a show that will likely be very memorable. Berlant is a magnetic performer and holds no prisoners – she dives into her interactions with confidence and assuredness. 

Berlant is entirely comfortable with her presence on stage and runs with ideas as they form. However, the format wears a little around half-way through the set – seemingly the result of a slight over-reliance on the quality of the audience’s remarks. These elements combine to make the material feel a little too much like a work in progress. However, there's fun in testing the waters, and it does make for a engaging hour. 

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Kate Berlant: Communikate, Assembly George Square (Studio Five), until 26 Aug (not 13), 9.15pm, £6.50-12.50

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