Anna Hale review: Joyfully raising the musical comedy bar
Edinburgh Fringe
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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
