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Tackling her first Fringe only months after moving to the UK from Toronto, Michelle Shaughnessy is taking her shot at making it big on this side of the pond. The thirtysomething-year-old’s debut hour covers the basics, as she shares tales of this big move (motivated by a desire to escape her comfort zone as a well-to-do housewife), a ‘vanilla’ marriage to an older gentleman, and her family back in Canada.

Slick responses from crowd-work kept the room alive but a few cultural miscommunications exposed the comic’s lack of self-awareness, while recurring comments about her wealth left a sour taste in the mouth. Shaughnessy’s unshakeable stage presence and gift of the gab makes this hour a comfortable watch, despite few bellyache-worthy moments ever arising. As a comic, she shows real star quality, but as a show, Be Your Own Daddy lacks substance and, most importantly, punchlines. 

Underbelly Bristo Square, until 29 August, 8.30pm.