Review: Ashley Storrie: Adulting

Ashley Storrie talks family, autism and smear tests

★★★★
comedy review (edinburgh) | Read in About 2 minutes
Published 07 Aug 2018
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100487 original

Adulting is a show about how hard it is to act like a grown up when you look like an oversized toddler. 

It’s also a show about the importance of family. One recurring character is her dad, who has autism. Storrie reels off stories about sticky social situations her and her dad have got into and explains in her refreshingly upbeat style how they have affected her. She relays anecdotes of anxiety and sleeplessness, but all with a smile, as if she’s just stood in front of a group of friends.

Storrie has faced some adversities, but she doesn't have a bad word to say about anyone. She champions the weirdness of her family; there’s no anger or resentment or shame at any moment, just honest love for them. A highlight is this comic’s clear knack for spotting idiosyncrasies of character. From mimicking head tilts to accents, Storrie piles on the ridiculousness.

But not only is this show about family and personal experience, it evolves into a discussion about the welfare of women and the importance of not being ashamed or scared to get a smear test. Storrie’s no-nonsense delivery is a breath of fresh air in this field: no preaching, just encouragement and support. It's a laugh-out-loud, candid look at the challenges of growing up and being a woman in this day and age. She deserves, and seems ready for, a much bigger audience.