In her latest show, Jessica Fostekew almost immediately draws a dividing line between her no-nonsense dive into her personal life for comedy and the empty self-help mantras of the women American podcasters she says drive her to distraction. It’s a theme that continues throughout as she extols the virtues of collapsible cycling helmets. She’s firmly on the left politically, but finds affectionate value in the ‘manosphere’ – particularly as it relates to her defiantly ‘blokey’ nine-year-old son.
She relies winningly on her easy manner in front of a mic, bantering with the audience while talking about weight-lifting or her love of Gladiators. Cumulatively, she challenges gender stereotypes lightly and cleverly, while never wading earnestly into the notion of ‘comedy as a mirror of the world’ which she – rightly – says would look pretty horrifying right now. Nevertheless, perhaps as a consequence of this, the humour here is more often amusing than breathlessly funny. It strikes familiar territory.
There’s a hilariously described pall-bearing catastrophe and an extremely good WhatsApp-related riff on pocket dialling, which showcases Fostekew’s ability to mine the routinely domestic for comedy gold, which has paid dividends in her previous shows. Iconic Breath has good material, but needs more of these standouts.
Jessica Fostekew: Iconic Breath, Monkey Barrel Comedy, until 24 Aug, 5.40pm