Mae Martin @ Laughing Horse, City Cafe
An addictive and compelling show from Mae Martin
"You feel flat right now because you're not addicted to anything or anyone," Martin's mother casually slips into conversation. It's true, the comedian admits, as she takes us through the many obsessions and addictions that's made her the person she is today.
Martin gives a magnetic performance as she charts her fascination with Bette Midler, to low-level comedian stalking, and rehab. The intricacies with which she recounts these periods of time make her story even more watchable, whilst her evident improv training keeps her delivery bright and breezy – always ensuring it's never too dark a show with wry asides galore.
It's an all round fascinating account of both substance abuse and the idea that you can be addicted to people; Martin even compares a breakup to initial sobriety. There's even a lesson about brain chemicals thrown in, with brain shrimps that niggle when a new obsession begins. This is a fantastic, stimulating hour which will rightly earn Martin a new horde of fans.
Mae Martin: Dope, Laughing Horse at City Cafe, until 27 Aug, 8pm, Free