Jenny Bede: The First Pregnant Woman in the World continues at Underbelly Clover, Edinburgh until 29 August 2022.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Immensely likeable, witty, friendly and sharp as a tack – this one-woman show is rather a hidden gem.
Pregnant for the first time – and during lockdown – Jenny is bewildered by how other people came into the world, so adamant is she that surely no one has ever been pregnant before her miraculous achievement!
Rejoicing in her expectant state, it’s inevitable that song is the ideal way to celebrate pregnancy and life with a baby (apart from the labour part – that was not so salubrious).
These achievements have been tackled before, of course, but Jenny’s immensely witty lyrics have the audience falling about laughing in no time at all. This is, in a way, stand-up comedy with songs – yet it feels more ‘meaty’ than that.
In one of the many original songs, ‘I’m Only Angry When’ is a marvellous rant at everything from McMuffins not always being available, to Bezos and his flying machine, with a lot of Tory-bashing thrown in for good measure. The pace and clarity; the well developed point of view and great rapport with an audience add up to Jenny Bede being one to watch.
Fiona Orr
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.