With tongue-in-cheek misandry, relationship post-mortems and dating app screenshots, Jenny Gorelick’s SORRY begins in overly familiar territory.
Also prompting an internal eye roll is Gorelick’s overreliance on the kind of internet-pilled, girly pop language which is designed to self-infantalise: “girl maths”, “I’m just a girl”, “women in STEM”.
Admittedly, the comedian is sparkly and witty in her crowd work, but this injection of spontaneity is needed when stretches of the set are dominated by gender-essentialist truisms (men who think they can land the plane feature prominently).
That said, it’s hard not to warm to Gorelick. Especially so, when you realise she’s wrapping herself in these simplistic clichés in order to lure the audience into a sense of safety. From there, she takes us deeper, exploring her own relationship with women who run against type, including the experience of growing up with a “bad mom” and grieving for her “difficult”, “diva” grandmother.
For those whose dating scepticism isn’t sated, it’s going to be a 10/10 (two single women across the aisle could be heard guffawing throughout the performance). For the rest of us, it may not be as resonant, but there’s plenty to recommend it: namely a tight structure and Gorelick’s buoyant charisma.
Oh, and the Real Housewives bit is worth an extra star all on its own.
Jenny Gorelick: SORRY, The Studio at Monkey Barrel Comedy, until 30 Aug (not 17, 18)