At Chortle's Fast Fringe

July 2011

More Diane Spencer videos

After studying drama at Loughborough University, Diane Spencer emigrated to New Zealand, where she started performing stand-up in November 2006. In 2009 she performed her first solo show, as well as coming to Edinburgh as part of the Big Comedy Breakfast compilation show. Later that year she returned to the UK permanently to work he circuit.

Her Edinburgh debut came with Lost In The Mouth Specific in 2010, a show she also performed down under. She was named best newcomer in the 2011 Chortle Awards.

Diane Spencer: Fringe 2012
Live Review
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Diane Spencer is sharper this year – both in terms of image and act. Her beehive hairdo makes her look like a ginger Dusty Springfield, while her ‘inappropriate’ material, juxtaposed with her posh girl delivery, makes her a deviant Jane Asher.

Disposing the ploy of an overarching narrative, as she attempted last year, seems to have given her a freer reign. Spencer has brought her own glitter to distract from anything she thinks she can’t get away with (in particular her opener about masturbating too much), but she needn’t have bothered. She’s less mannered, meaning that she serves up her strange brews about inappropriate fancy dress, the genesis of ginger and the finer points of babysitting, with the right amount of twinkling slyness.

Though her bad taste is still an acquired one, she prefaces her show this year with the notion of taking offence as theft. Meanwhile, she lets weird incidents find her as much as deliberately going out looking for them, For example, putting this dysfunctional dame her in charge of an infant scared of monsters in his room was always going to go badly. In the end her chosen coping method of donning kitchen pans for protection, and watching Alien, is the most orthodox coping mechanism Spencer can muster.

Occasionally, the inappropriate misadventure is alcohol-fuelled, making her the victim of her own lewdness. She ‘time-travels’ to a point beyond the embarrassment for others and reaps the morning-after punishment.

When she is the victim, for example in the aftermath of her sister’s wedding, it’s much more fun than her deliberate attempts to act up, including her premeditated choice of bad-taste  costume for a fancy dress party and her attempts to scare children at aquariums.

Meanwhile, her routine on how ginger people are made is not so self-deprecating as it sounds. She describes procreating couples ‘throwing the ginger dice’, making the hair colouring feel like more of a threat than a curse.

Though exhibiting a more low-status side for her comedy, Spencer likes to come out on top, as her ending reinforces. She has emerged as the winner over her format this year, for sure.

Just seen her at the Litchfield comedy show and it was truly awful, cheap jokes about body female body parts, no effort made in the jokes or clever jokes. If you’re having a hen party, then she should would be great, but if you’re looking for good quality comedy... avoid!

richard, November 2012

I've just seen Diane and am still laughing at this force of nature. She may start off like a sweetie but soon she's going places you've never dreamed of - and getting you laughing yourself stupid in the process. Loved it.

Michael Monkhouse, February 2012

Saw Diane's preview of All Pervading Madness. Skillful storytelling, extremely funny - I think she's brilliant. While her material is not for the prissy, the only victim is herself, but she's so affable you just go with the flow.That's not a euphemism, by the way...

Donna Scott, July 2011

I saw Diane Spencer last Saturday. If it wasn’t for my friends birthday being the reason we attended her gig, a number of us would have walked out. A number of the audience did in the break. I have seen Jimmy Jones, Mike Reid et al live and I am very open minded, but she is not funny, she badly delivers and it is all just plain nasty.

Will, June 2011

If you want to see a grown woman make hack jokes about her poop for an hour, then Lost In The Mouth Specific is for you.

comedy fan, February 2011

Saw Di last night at Liverpool's baby blue. For my partner & I she was the star act of the night. I cried laughing & had a stitch. This lady is intelligent, hilarious, gorgeous & very approachable. She handles heckles, has fab comic timing & is a complete natural on the stage. Give her 12 months (or less)& I predict that she too will be on our TV screens. Defo one to watch.

Gaynor, February 2011