Anna Hale review: Joyfully raising the musical comedy bar
Edinburgh Fringe
〰️
Edinburgh Fringe 〰️
Image: Hudson Hughes
by Zoe Paskett
First of all, wow?? The talent that Anna Hale has.
The musical comedy bar is crazy high already, but Anna is raising it even higher.
Her debut show is ticking all my boxes. Musical theatre. Check. Anxiety. Check. Feeling so much gratitude for your lovely therapist that you want to send them a gift but don’t know if it’s appropriate (it’s probably not). Check!
Control Freak is about a very specific variety of anxiety: emetophobia, the phobia of vomiting. Since she was young, Anna has crafted her life around this fear – though it took some time to pinpoint that this was what she was afraid of – always carrying water, wearing layers in case she gets hot, and always making sure she knows where the loos are before she goes anywhere. With the anxiety becoming so debilitating that she couldn’t make plans without spinning out, Anna goes in search of therapy, and the journey takes off.
Wearing a sparkle-hemmed jacket and a matching kazoo around her neck, which she uses in place of simulating being sick, she sways effortlessly between her piano and guitar. Her skill at songwriting is outstanding. It’s a comedy hour with the structure and pacing of a musical. The songs fold over and around each other, with returning refrains and complex melodies that feel warm and memorable. In some places, she borrows from the greats (Elton John, Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes…) with a wry smile and a little “you know what I’m doing” nod. It’s all highly polished, but still emotional.
Sections about calling a talking therapy helpline and trying to get past the automated voice on the other end, only to be told the actual length of the waiting list, are infuriatingly familiar. There are other stand-out moments in a trip to Paris, and a particularly traumatic lasagne.
But in a show about anxiety, panic and control, Anna is nothing but bright and hopeful. Even the moments of shadow have lightness peeking through. It’s clearly been a tough ride, but what results in this show is ultimately joyful.
Anna Hale: Control Freak is at Pleasance Courtyard (Cellar) at 5:30pm. Tickets here
“Her conversational and lively storytelling style as she tells us about her life knocks up against perceptive envelope-pushing political material. The combination of the two is potent – she holds nothing back”
“Duo Chuck’n’Jeck’s Fringe debut 123movies.com is a whirlwind of sketches tied together under the umbrella of the most nonsensical and most fun awards ceremony you’ve ever watched”
“This is the sort of show that I long for at the Fringe: something queer and weird and extravagant that has an audience hooting and hollering and going out into the night feeling like they’ve just experienced something rare.”
“An absolute hoot. Hudson characterises this fading shine of light entertainment celebrity with aplomb, his frantic desperation to cling onto relevance butting up against the temptations and modernisations of a world that he is ill-equipped to deal with. “
“The social realm is a tricky beast, filled with grey areas and traps that can catch anyone out if they are unprepared. Luckily, Paulette has devised a code of etiquette for handling every social situation you might come up against.”
“This is one of those totally unique late night Fringe shows that will see you leave wondering, did that just happen? Did I and a whole bunker of people just spank each other silly on command? The answer is yes. Willingly, in fact.”
“Character comedian Han Whyte’s drag persona welcomes us to the launch of his new book and a relaunch of his previous works now adapted to be more feminist – at least in his eyes.”
“A show that unpacks this odd existence with equal measures of absurdity and tenderness, emphatically queer, both extremely funny and bittersweet.”
“God’s Favourite is an intense and inspired hour, bound by a combination of zippy writing and a faith in the show’s journey, which the audience shares in wholeheartedly.”
“This debut clown show is more than skin deep, as Maya mines her former life as a telenovela actress to investigate the pressures of remaining youthful, hyper-feminine and emotionally palatable. “
“Sexy baby, harangued ex-wife to a deadbeat genius, male growth plot device… How far have we come really?”
“Her characters provide a showcase for her wide-ranging comedic abilities and allow plenty of space to play”
“The immediate standing ovation that met Mothman’s curtain call came as no surprise. This is the type of show you’ll leave feeling like you need to see it again.”
“She’s dynamic and natural on stage, a simultaneously high-powered and relaxed stand-up.”
Getting to see Cooking With Kathryn is the perfect example of a welcome Fringe surprise – someone new to me and the Fringe, who has created something that fully reflects its anarchic, messy spirit. An absolute riot.
Gross in some places, soft in others, raucously fun all the way through. It’s a clown show that fully celebrates the joy of playing around. At every opportunity, Su takes the wilder option and runs with it.
Like the skirt suit she’s in search of, Baby Doomer is woven from honeyed threads. She wears both wonderfully. Can you plausibly call someone one of the greats this early in their career?
Marjolein’s perspective is a gift and Lein is another hypnotic, lyrical piece of work, and as funny as ever. Even if we haven’t all watched nuns trampolining in Amsterdam, being lost is a universal feeling.
I love all of it. Ayoade Bamgboye has the freshness of a new comedian performing without rules or restrictions. You truly have no idea what she might do next, and she makes it appear like she doesn’t either. It’s thrilling.
There are few people more naturally suited to the job at hand. Molly McGuinness’s debut Slob flows out of her with seemingly effortless dexterity.
I’ve been hearing rumblings of Ayo’s talent for a while and it’s immediately obvious why, both to me and this sold out crowd. His ease on stage, his delightful, sunny disposition and winning earnestness all combine to endear you to him straight away.
