Grace Helbig was one of the first social media stars, becoming a YouTube pioneer charting every minute of her life nearly twenty years ago, when some of today’s baby influencers weren’t even born. Having made her name she has moved into performance and boy does she have a story to tell.

Helbig is not the first comedian to build a show around their breast cancer. Tig Notaro set the bar very high on that one. But Helbig has a rollercoaster narrative and a compelling, energetic style that keeps you watching even though you have an inkling that there is going to be a happy ending.

It’s probably too much of a story to cover in her high-power, non-stop hour, but we get all the essential bullet points, from awkwardly delivered diagnosis in her late thirties to chemo and hair loss and evacuating her bowels at the least desirable moment.

Helbig has a winning personality that keeps you watching as she mocks the idea of any new age healing journeys and puts her faith in modern medicine. She is a physical performer too, moving around the stage and delivering effective act outs. 

Despite the subject matter this is never as bleak as it could be, but although there are lows Helbig is standing in front of us and smiling because she is now in remission (cue huge cheer).

It does feel a little too tightly scripted, with not much scope for crowdwork, but one can easily imagine it as a hit Netflix special. There’s a serious message there of course, ladies get your mammograms done, but it’s also a powerful, personal and very entertaining comedy show

Until August 24. Buy tickets here.

Read more comedy reviews here.

PICTURE CREDIT - KIM NEWMONEY

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