Alison Spittle is a very funny comedian, unapologetically Irish, endearingly gross, and in command of a room she acknowledges as sweaty and smelly (Monkey Barrel Comedy at the Hive).
I’m watching the livestreamed show on the NextUp platform, which is an independent service for comedy performances including a wide variety of on-demand shows you can subscribe to view.
Spittle’s show is titled Soup, and that’s where her set starts by ribbing audience members’ favourite flavours, describing her WhatsApp soup group, and recalling the decadence of sipping broth in the bath.
Body ailments, awkward interactions, and the ability to deal with trauma by laughing at it are all in her skill set. An affinity with jokes and sending herself up brings waves of laughter, although not necessarily hysterics.
When not on the topic of soup, Spittle finds humour in the world at large, from being a constant gift recipient of bath bombs she never uses to something far more serious.
I’m all for fresh approaches to dealing with mental health, and Soup considers the life around us in fifty minutes of quirks and puns, which leave you feeling happy, even energised.
Her delivery of material may seem haphazard, but rarely flags, and as observational and personal comedy goes, this comic can and does quickly get her audience on side.
Alison Spittle: Soup is playing live at the Edinburgh Fringe until 27 Aug: tickets here.
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