Francesca Martinez’s ‘What The **** Is Normal?!’ deals with her coming to terms with cerebral palsy and the perspectives it has given her on societal norms. Although the show is funny and clever, she often hints at more challenging material, only to retreat again to crowd-pleasing jokes. Her thoughts on abortion, for example, are a provoking kick out at apathy, but moments like these are rare. The show finishes with a long poem, stunning the audience with its beauty; however, it felt tacked-on to the end and completely changed the atmosphere in the room, an odd way to end a comedy gig; although, in a show talking about oppressive ideas of normality, perhaps that was the point.
The Stand, 5 – 28 Aug (not 8, 15, 22, 23), 7.35pm (8.35pm), £8.00 – £9.00, fpp77.
tw rating 3/5
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Sections: by Emma Keaveney - ED2011 Comedy Reviews - tw rating 3/5 | Tags: Francesca Martinez, The Stand
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