Review: Marjolein Robertson: Da Shetland Spree

Marjolein Robertson is from Shetland, a place which many comedy punters visiting Scotland from elsewhere might know little about. But no fear, this comic is here to teach us about her home. She is a likeable and endearing performer with a great energy about her, covering a lot of ground, sharing outlandish family anecdotes and personal experiences throughout this leisurely hour.

Something feels a little distant about these stories: as though they don’t originate entirely from truth. Not that the literal truth matters in standup, but a little more confidence from Robertson might help drive her anecdotes further and make them more convincing. Her punchlines too remain mere tickles as she settles for the easiest route out of most concepts she chooses to introduce: the somewhat obvious pun in the infamous Bryan Adams song Summer of ’69. 

With a bit of refining, Robertson will be able to neaten the ‘fluff’ in her jokes and hopefully this will enable her to spend more time working on some solid punchlines. She is certainly a natural presence on stage, it’s more a need to tighten the writing, which will increase her command over the audience and give the show more rhythm.