Frankie McNair: Huge Ass Mindset comedy review – Swapping shame for compassion
Grappling with trauma and tragedy, Frankie McNair puts an upbeat twist on dark subject matter as she celebrates her personal growth, survival instincts and resilience
Let’s get a few things straight. Despite the show’s title, Frankie McNair says arse instead of ass (which is appreciated). She also wants you to know that she is very, very, much ok and that we are very, very much encouraged to laugh. In fact, if we don’t, the fan will be turned off on this roasting hot August night. So the stakes are high as McNair settles into a routine that’s got more trigger warnings than a firing range and yet is brilliantly the antithesis of the approximately one million ‘traumedy’ shows present at the Fringe.
That’s partly because McNair’s aim isn’t to replay what happened to her (she has a therapist for that). Instead, the target is the shame she refuses to feel. To our communal delight, she sends that black beast off with a flea in its ear, because having a huge arse mindset means being the best person you can be, no matter what you’re working with. There’s bags of compassion there too, both for little Frankie and for those fighting to find their own huge arse, plus a side of slapstick sketch work, just because she can. And that’s the thing: she can. McNair can bring a room to its knees, whether we’re laughing or crying. And that is pretty huge arse indeed.
Frankie McNair: Huge Ass Mindset, Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 30 August, 7pm; picture: Rebekah Halls.