Anu Vaidyanathan brings her debut hour of comedy to the Edinburgh Fringe; BC:AD – Before Children: After Diapers.
Vaidyanathan, from South India, is an engineer, a mother and was the first Asian person to finish the Ultraman Canada Triathlon. She’s got an incredibly impressive resume and has decided to incorporate stories from her extraordinary life into a stand-up comedy routine.
We began with some Fringe specific humour regarding the trials and tribulations of flyering and how previews before the Fringe went. What follows on are anecdotes and stories from her time studying in America, meeting her husband, moving to Germany and having children. Much of the content surrounding motherhood I’m sure will be relatable for many.
Vaidyanathan is a very fast talker, which hinders the landing of each joke as the audience don’t have time to digest what they’ve heard before she’s moved on to the next bit. There are also a few times in which she went quiet towards the end of her sentence, as if she began doubting herself midway through, something that’s understandable when you consider that this is her debut.
For the most part BC:AD – Before Children: After Diapers is amusing and filled with relatable content. Unfortunately, the show is let down in the delivery, which could be massively improved if Vaidyanathan slows down and allows the joke to land before moving on. However, for a debut this is solid stuff.
Disclaimer: I watched a recording of the show at Underbelly from the 11th August
{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}
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