If the irrepressible Cat Cohen can survive her adolescent drama teacher telling her that she was ‘normal’, then the peerless American performer can survive anything. The comic and cabaret star was preparing for the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe when she had a stroke, a terrifying event for someone only 32 at the time. Into each life a little rain must fall, however. And Cohen, who’s experienced more than her fair share of precipitation, fashions a dazzling silver lining from the clouds of that dark summer. With her delivery of glam, glittering showtunes laced with puckish wordplay, self-lacerating wit and aloof snark, all woven through stream of consciousness, oversharing stand-up and tickling of the crowd’s bellies, Broad Strokes is a tour de force of musical comedy.

Woozy opening number ‘By The Sea’ establishes her unwellness, unhinged tendencies and lust for recognition as a legend, before she clarifies the neurological issues she’s suffered since puberty. Elsewhere, she tunefully runs through all of her bad actions, asking the audience if they can still like her? So accomplished is Cohen that she can capture the heart and soul of a relationship in a single blowjob act out but not let a sexual assault define a song (her ‘story to tell’ as she puts it). And a showstopping number in which she admonishes the universe for damning her to be unique, albeit in a medical manner, absolutely brings the house down.

Cat Cohen: Broad Strokes, Pleasance Courtyard, until 24 August, 9pm; main picture: Dev Bowman.