This Review is from August 2024
In The First 3 Minutes of 17 Shows, Abby Wambaugh presents a one-person variety performance.
This is a grand tour of comedy. Playfully navigating the sub genres of comedic live performance, Abby weaves together storytelling, classic stand up, absurdism, impressions, prop comedy, friendly audience participation and more. We hear the phrase ‘something for everybody’ banded around a lot during the Fringe, but here it is accurate.
I’ve no idea how Abby put this show together, so I can only speculate. If feels like they started with a true story – a tale that explores the complexities of gender identity, parenting, and loss. Then the comedian researched seventeen different comedy styles and became an expert at delivering all of them. Then Abby said, “I’m going to cram in as many relevant, truthful and hysterical jokes as I can.”
There are a ton excellent comedy shows that have powerful personal moments and laugh out loud hysteria, but rarely do they accompany each other so well.
Abby is warm and vulnerable and powerful. The connection with the audience is such that when a truly serious moment does finally arise, I quietly start to cry. Abby takes a moment, allows the silence, reads the room, and within moments I am laughing again.
During Abby’s debut solo hour, the comedian has somehow broken comedy and rebuilt it, better. The spontaneous standing ovation at the end was richly deserved.
Martin Walker
Podcast interview with Abby Wambaugh.
Tickets HERE
Reviews of Abby Wambaugh: The First 3 Minutes of 17 Shows collated by the British Comedy Guide HERE
Abby’s Profile HERE
