Review by Annie Aslett
It is often with trepidation that one enters a stand-up comedy debut at a tiny Edinburgh Fringe venue – too often, audiences are pity-laughing because silence in such proximity would be so much worse. With Hannah Platt’s show, there’s no need to worry. Well-written, subversive jokes get the audience genuinely laughing from the off, and we all breathe a sigh of relief that this isn’t going to be awkward. This is not for lack of trying on Platt’s part, though. She wants us to feel awkward and tells us so – she’s got some uncomfortable things to say, especially if you’re a straight, cis man. If only she wasn’t so bloody likeable! This Scouse comic has found the perfect balance between speaking vulnerably and candidly about a range of topics, primarily her diagnosis of body dysmorphia, while delivering some great punchlines told in her down-to-earth yet acerbic style. Stand-up comedians tend to have larger-than-life personalities – it is refreshing to see a self-diagnosed ‘quiet person’ do stand-up comedy. Her riff on ‘loud people’ is spot-on and a great opener; this is a rare comedian who is making quiet people feel seen (it’s me, I felt seen).
Platt is the product of a patriarchal, capitalist society – and she knows it. If you’ve ever been told that you over-intellectualize things, Platt is the comic for you. Platt’s whole show is about how she’s painfully self-aware, which comes through in her performance even when she doesn’t intend it to. If you’ve listened to anything that Platt has said this evening, you’ll understand why she struggles a bit when a well-meaning audience member tries to get involved. Her diagnosis of body dysmorphia put words to the feelings of paranoia at being perceived that she has felt all her life. In another great riff, this time on white male comics at the Fringe, she rightly points out that stand-up at the Fringe can feel like the suffering Olympics – Platt’s show is self-aware enough (of course) to avoid too much woe-is-me, instead finding sharp wit in relatable stories. The second half of the show is less focused, with not enough time given to big topics of depression, complicated parental relationships and bereavement.
This is a confident debut from Platt, who already has a clear and charming voice. Some more clarity in her show’s structure, and there are big things in this comic’s future.
Review by Annie Aslett (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Annie is a not-so-recent graduate of the University of Edinburgh with a degree in French and Spanish, along with a Masters in Translation from the University of Glasgow. A Spanish teacher for three years, she decided to leave the classroom behind to pursue personal goals and has since been regularly reviewing for Corr Blimey’s Glaswegian wing. Annie is a life-long lover of musical theatre, whose childhood performances included a rousing production of Snow White in The Hall and a heartfelt rendition of Go, Go, Go Joseph in The Living Room.
