Review: Bee Babylon: Cancer Culture

Bee Babylon has always been a hypochondriac. With a diagnosis of OCD and anxiety and a weekly GP habit, believing she had cancer was a regular occurrence – until one day she was right.

Cancer Culture is Babylon’s retelling of this period of her life: a diagnosis of cervical cancer during lockdown followed by her subsequent treatment and recovery, and newfound status as a cancer survivor. It might sound like difficult subject matter, but in Babylon’s hands everything is fair game for a gag, from competition with breast cancer patients to her own vividly imagined death. 

This is the first hour-long Fringe show from Icelandic-born, Scotland-based comedian Babylon, who has made her name on the Scottish comedy circuit in recent years. It’s an assured debut with plenty of punchlines and more skilfully recounted anecdotes and imaginings. Despite material on chemotherapy, early menopause and infertility, the tone remains light and the humour surprisingly relatable. Babylon herself is an easy presence on stage, in a well-paced hour that winds along nicely with no need for tricks or gimmicks. 

All in all, Cancer Culture is a solid stand-up hour from a unique voice sure to become a Fringe staple of the future. Audiences have to be ok with laughing at cancer, she warns at the top of her show; with Babylon as the storyteller, they’re left with little other choice.