Review: Angela Barnes: Hot Mess

Hot Mess, the new hour from stand-up comedian Angela Barnes, packs quite a punch.

That is not because it is outstandingly funny – it is a solid show, rather than a sensational one – but because it is movingly dedicated to the memory of the comedian Phil Jerrod, who supported Barnes on two national tours, and who died of cancer in late 2021 at the age of 42.

This show was originally supposed to be about Barnes’ recent diagnosis with ADHD, but, ironically enough, she got distracted in the writing of it by a global pandemic, and it has largely morphed into an account of her life under lockdown instead.

What did Barnes do while she couldn’t do live comedy? Well, she got married for one thing. She bought a sewing machine that sits stubbornly under her bed, too, and drank a lot of beer.

She spins all of that and more into a straightforward, slightly underwhelming Fringe-hour, trading a bit too heavily on relatability. It is lively, but not quite laugh-a-minute stuff, and it already feels a bit out-of-date to be honest – although there is one particularly good riff about her awkward attempts at finding a wedding dress.

It is in the final 15 minutes, though, that Barnes showcases the talent that has made her such a familiar face on TV panel shows, berating Boris Johnson and his government in a raucous political rant, then delivering a poignant punchline via her late friend Jerrod. A tame show with a tear-jerking finale.