Review: Cal Wilson: Gifted Underachiever

Cal Wilson is officially middle-aged. She finds herself giving less of a shit about a lot of things, while angry about a lot of small things. It’s ripe fodder for an hour of observational comedy about family life and growing older.

Wilson is a familiar face through her appearances on programs such as Have You Been Paying Attention? and she puts people at ease. While fast-paced, Wilson never appears nervous or unsure and the crowd happily interact with her if called upon.

With jokes drawing upon the minutiae of every day life (everything from supermarket checkouts to pelvic ultrasounds) there are plenty of looks of recognition between partners and friends in the audience tonight, who recognise themselves and their own annoyances.

Gifted Underachiever is far from a groundbreaking hour of comedy, but it is an enjoyable one. With consistent laughs over the hour, Wilson’s standup feels like catching up with an old friend.