Lou Sanders: Say Hello to Your New Step-Mummy

Former surrealist in politically engaged hour
After a profile-boosting turn in TV gameshow Taskmaster earlier this year where she excelled at completing a series of bizarre and futile contests, Lou Sanders' latest Fringe hour feels like a culmination of her previous shows. Familiarly, there's plenty of material about her much-discussed labia, now with tote-bag merch to boot. Jill in the Pyrenees (her energy healer and spiritual adviser) makes a reappearance and provides the motive for many of Sanders' exploits.
There are copious amounts of the kind of 'yer dad' jokes she likes to share on Twitter as well as oodles of frank sex chat in which she clearly believes there's no such thing as TMI. The surrealism of shows past has been cast aside in favour of more political engagement as she tackles feminist issues, especially in relation to sex and being a public figure.
Mary Beard's recent book, Women & Power: A Manifesto, describes the more-than 2000-year history of women who speak out in public being called strident, whinging, whining and much, much worse. In Say Hello to Your New Step-Mummy, Sanders addresses the abuse which women, especially the opinionated and funny ones, are subjected to online. Her persona is a refreshing antidote to all of this rancour, and she presents herself as unabashedly horny and with bullet-proof self-esteem. And so she should.
There are a few elements in the mix that don't work, such as a folk song with barely intelligible lyrics which leaves the audience a few steps behind her accompanying commentary. As a side note, it's early days for Lou Sanders' show and her new venue, but the seating arrangement may deny a number of the audience a chance to see some of her fine visual gags. But don't let that put you off a comedian of genuine calibre.
Monkey Barrel, until 25 Aug (not 14), 3.15pm, £8 in advance or donations at the venue.