If there is one thing Gledhill wants us to take away from this show, it is to feel in control of our confidence and self-esteem, oh, and also to leave a trail of kisses before going down for the “willy-kiss”.
You cannot help but love Gledhill; her natural charisma pulls you in the minute she enters the stage. She walks in, greeting the audience, kindly asking if we would like to go to bed with her, then hands out knickers for the audience to throw on stage. From the moment she enters, the crowd is already beaming with laughter which gets louder as she starts off with her first act. Her story of going ape in order to impress her crush, Fit Simon, which did not seem to go as planned.
One of Gledhill’s greatest strengths is her hilarious ability at physical comedy. This really beams with her toothy “willy-kiss” story. The crowd was cackling near tears at her re-enactment of her toothy blowjob. She compares herself biting down for balance to a dog tugging onto a chew toy. The story proceeds to get even more absurd, ending up with her then-boyfriend needing to take a trip to A&E after fainting in the shower.
Absurd is definitely a way to describe many of the situations Gledhill gets herself into, and she really embraces the ridiculousness of these situations, as well as herself. She takes them as far as she can go with her jokes, such as in her game of “Would you still love me if…?” she asks if she were to have her bum-hole in the place of her mouth.
Gledhill hones in on relatability in connecting with the audience. She shares vulnerable moments such as her struggle with body image from an insensitive letter from an ex-boyfriend and opens up about her horrible sexual assault on the train. She smartly joins in these serious topics with comedy through punch lines and running gags, like, what if she had Mark Libbett’s hair?
Gledhill loves to poke fun at herself, not in the typical self-deprecating kind of way; she encourages self-love and knowing your worth, and you can tell she is confident in herself in the way she delivers these stories as she uses moments of insecurity to fuel herself with passion and craft. A fresh take on making fun of yourself, one that is exciting and fun to watch, making her a lovable performer and comedian.
Review by Rim Alkaiat
Featured image: Amy Gledhill live at Soho Theatre (c) Paul Gilbey
Winner of the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show at this year’s festival, and a three-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, Amy Gledhill is the only act ever to be nominated twice in one year; both for Best Newcomer (solo show) and Best Show, as one half of the critically acclaimed sketch duo The Delightful Sausage.
Make Me Look Fit on the Poster – Soho Theatre https://sohotheatre.com/events/amy-gledhill-make-me-look-fit-on-the-poster-2/
Read Rim’s latest Review: ‘A Good House’- A piercing exploration of privilege and belonging in Cape Town – Royal Court Jerwood Theatre, until 8 February – Abundant Art
