Spring Day: Exvangelical

Spring Day: Exvangelical ★★★★

This Review is from August 2024

Spring Day, an American comedian now based in the UK, brings her eighth solo show, Exvangelical, to the Edinburgh Fringe stage.

Spring has an upbeat, smart and very funny comedic style, and she shares a deeply personal story.

Growing up in a rural suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, USA, the comedian dreamed of being on TV. Her mother, a nurse, struggled to relate to Spring, and harboured an intense resentment towards her daughter’s disability, cerebral palsy.

The family were always moving around, which made it difficult for her to form lasting friendships. Then, one day, a new friend invited her to church. Her conversion to Christianity was swift and profound, leading her into the clutches of a hardline, extremist sect at the age of thirteen. Shockingly, Spring informs us, most converts are children between the ages of four and fourteen, coerced into faith through a toxic mix of love and fear.

Later, Spring moved to an even more extreme sect. Eventually, she was informed by church leaders that she couldn’t be close to Jesus, as it was her own sin that was causing her cerebral palsy. Her loving God was punishing her and until she was cured – of an incurable condition – she was demonic. These people need locking up. How does she escape?

This is a joke heavy storytelling show that perfectly balances the fun with the pathos. Her life story, at times, feels like a dark comedy. It would make a very good movie.

Martin Walker

Spring Day podcast interview.