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Tiffany Stevenson: Along Came A Spider – Fringe 2009
Live Review

Has Tiffany Stevenson ever mentioned she used to be a model? If not, she more than makes up for it in this predictable though tolerable show, her solo debut.

Along Came A Spider is the story of how Stevenson left the world of fashion after finding it, to her apparent surprise, rather vacuous. There followed an existential crisis, after which she fell into TV acting (which she also thought vacuous) and now she's here at the Edinburgh Fringe having found her calling in stand-up. Running alongside this - and it's as baffling as it sounds - is the theme of spiders. Apparently it's something to do spinning a web, or getting caught in one...and then finding your 'inner spider'. Hmmm.

Spider nonsense aside, Stevenson is a competent stand-up, with some well-crafted material. But she appears oblivious to how hackneyed some topics have become. It's hard to imagine what mileage might be left in chav-bashing, Scottish stereotype or posh girls and she certainly doesn't uncover any. What she does do is try to get away with jokes so familiar it feels like they were written several centuries ago.

 Even on the subject of her own life story, she manages to present the most generic observation as if it were something unique to her. It will come as little shock to most to hear modelling is pretty shallow or a lot of the girls have eating disorders. So we're unlikely to fall about laughing at a joke illustrating the point, especially when it's as weak as how she shouldn't mock bulimics ‘because they won't let it go. They just keep bringing it up’.

 Stevenson spends a lot of time bitchily deriding her 'idiot' former colleagues and, as if to prove how far removed she is from them, name drops Sartre, Unity Mitford and Richard Dawkins, rather pretentious segments that don't appear to be in the set for their comedy value. This might be easier to take if she didn't then undermine her intellectual showboating by detailing her terrible disillusionment at subsequent jobs working as a door girl in a West End night club and as an actor in Hollyoaks. Where did she look next for spiritual fulfillment? Heat magazine?

Stevenson is a confident performer, with a good sense of timing and a smattering of decent jokes. If she loses the misguided smugness and replaces it with some original opinions, she could find stand-up her least disappointing career move yet. If she thinks it's going to be any less packed with vanity and self-obsession, however...

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I saw Tiffany at the red raw night at the Stand in Glasgow which she headlined. I knew of her as a comedy actress and wasn't sure how she would be. She was very good, very funny, witty and knew how to work the audience. A refreshing change to some of the others that still think you just need to talk about sex and drugs to be funny.

Jimmi Henshite, January 2010

She's average on a good night and simply not good enough to be on at the gigs she gets, or used to get. She might land a job as a tv actress in a sitcom and good luck to her. But as a comic, no way.

Steve, December 2009

I saw Tiffany the other evening at Geeks at the Library in Islington and I found her hilarious and professional. I think the review provided on this website should be studiously ignored as I read it before I saw her gig and it is grossly inaccurate. Go see her for yourself!

Rosie, November 2009

I saw Tiffany twice at Bestival and found her very funny with her observations on life and spot on description of Greenford.

sinisterpictures, September 2009

What an ignorant review. They completely missed the point!

Laura, August 2009

I think that review is accurate (though a touch generous). My friend and I saw this act by chance, the name dropping and attempt to dismiss previous incarnations is indeed excruciating, presumably from someone who actually did very little modelling/acting which makes it all the more cringeworthy, hopefully she's a nice woman as in all honesty she seemed to be, but comedy performing is not her calling.

Marie, August 2009

I saw Tiffany Stevenson for the first time at the Frog and Bucket, her performance was faultless, i enjoyed every minute of it and at one point i thought i had actually wet my pants. (I hadnt) The one thing i left sure of, was the fact that Tiffany will go far, she was a pleasure to watch and i hope to see her again soon.

Lisa, February 2009

Anyone who has anything negative to say about Tiffany Stevenson quite simply just doesn't get it... I've seen her several times, most recently at the Frog and Bucket in Manchester, and have not once been disappointed. Her 'detached style' is hilarious, and her air couldn't be further away from unapproachable and bored. Her stage presence is confident and charming, making her as incredibly charismatic as the comedians you see on TV selling out the Apollo and bringing tours out on DVD. I have no doubt that she will be doing the same in a few years and petty inaccurate reviews such as the one on this page will be irrelevant and laughed at as much as Tiffany is by an entire room of people at every gig I have seen her do. Which for the record, is a LOT.

Nicola, February 2009

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