Kirsty Mann: Corpse theatre review – A haunting follow-up
Kirsty Mann’s show blends stand-up, storytelling and ghostly shocks
Skeletons, Kirsty Mann’s breakthrough comedy hour, revealed a stand-up comedian with killer smarts, comedy chops and a perfect eye for detail. But a comedian’s first hour, particularly if it’s autobiographical, only shows you so much: just like musicians, there’s a ‘difficult second album’ to overcome. In other words, there’s a bit of pressure on Corpse. Thankfully, Mann more than delivers. It’s fascinating to see how her performance style has developed; the show is listed under theatre in the Fringe website rather than comedy and that feels bang-on for an hour that’s as much about storytelling as it is about landing jokes. They are in there, but there is so much more: a compelling story arc, Mann’s forensic eye for the specific and a burgeoning physicality to her presentation. It’s all a delight to watch.
Corpse is a ghost story and, like everyone who’s seen it, your humble reviewer has been sworn to secrecy (and not just because it might affect house prices on Mann’s street). That means there’s little more to say about the plot other than it’s threaded through with surprises, shocks and more than a few jump scares (pro tip: go with your most sceptical afterlife disbeliever of a mate, because that makes it even more fun). Corpse is an intriguing step-change for the always-interesting Mann: if seeing it means you have to sleep with the lights on for a couple of nights, then that’s on you.
Kirsty Mann: Corpse continues at the Gallery at the Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum until 15 March.