This review first appeared in the Evening Standard here.

The trigger for Canadian comic Mae Martin’s latest show, Us, was her relationship break-up. When she was writing her Tinder profile to get back in the dating saddle she reflected on her sexuality. She had been “Gay Mae” but what was she now? And why label anyway?

If the subject sounds heavy the elfin stand-up gives it the lightest of touches, simultaneously notching up political points and infectious laughs. The eccentric Martin family is comedy gold — a nudist father and a liberal mum who taught sex education with DIY drawings.

A series of memorable anecdotes is deftly delivered, from the tale of a summer camp crush to an awkward encounter with a hen party in a pub. The style is both chatty and polished, making a monologue that premiered in Edinburgh last summer feel as fresh as ever.

Martin decides that sexual attraction is not really about genitals, listing her unlikely top turn-ons to prove it. Winking is important, but not the gender of the winker. 

The set ends on a slightly preachy plea for understanding but the message is valid. There should not be an us and them, we are all just us.

For more on Mae Martin click here.