Gay marriage was a massive step in LGBTQIA+ equality but Sian Davies isn’t that much of a fan. In fact, she’s a much bigger proponent of gay divorce. The Northerner’s stand-up is an unserious hour where she shows and tells her most regrettable tattoo (a ‘tribal’ symbol, naturally), and shares the story of how a random stranger got a tattoo of Davies and her then wife. Most of her jokes are laced with originality, and only sometimes does her audience seem to not quite get them. Her anecdotal gags are great, and she throws in a few bad puns and dad jokes here and there that are received surprisingly well. Indeed, her gags tell us a lot about herself: gay divorcee haunted by a sleep-paralysis demon of Sylvester The Cat from Looney Tunes. 

While not every single joke lands, Davies’ audience is clearly entertained for her full comedy hour with minimal seat shuffling. While her more niche gags get less reaction, her stories are hilarious, and would seem far-fetched if she didn’t have photographic evidence (her face tattooed on the aforementioned stranger). If you’ve got a list of gay and lesbian comedians to see this year, Sian Davies should absolutely be on it. 

Sian Davies: Band Of Gold, Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, until 25 August, 4.15pm; main picture: Andy Hollingworth.