Sophie Willan + Johnny Pelham

Female. Northern. Working class. Sex-worker. Care leaver. In Branded, acclaimed stand-up Sophie Willan took all of the labels regularly bandied about discussing her work and gleefully tore them up to often hilarious effect. An endearingly quirky performance from Bradford’s Johnny Pelham, supporting, set the tone of light-hearted confessional self-deprecation before the headliner’s series of observations on identity, family and society took flight. Skilfully delivering a powerful feminist agenda (on International Women’s Day, no less) in what was a deceptively matey package, this at times touching (though never manipulative) show confidently, mercilessly, lampooned the class tourism currently infesting comedy circles.

The Basement, 8 March 2018

Rating: