Review by Jason Stone

Bec Hill's winsome charm makes it easy to underestimate the cleverness of her show as she rails against the idea that she's ready for adult responsibility just because she's reached her late twenties. She gleefully sets out to prove that there's room in all our lives for a little childishness and cites a series of examples to demonstrate how it would improve our lives.

A lot of shows on the Fringe have a premise that's a bit like a bin bag full of books... it loosely holds everything together but you know that if it's put under the slightest pressure then it's going to split apart. So it's enormously refreshing to see a show where the premise provides a coherent structure for the comedy instead. Bec Hill seems completely sincere about her dedication to immature behaviour and she explores the theme to great effect. There's no question that her show is all the more rewarding for its adherence to this thread.

One of the best examples of her personal philosophy comes when she expresses jealousy at the way children appear to able to dodge punishment for any misdemeanour simply by drawing a picture for the offended parent. This way of getting out of trouble should not, Hill tells us, be limited to children and she illustrates her point by unveiling a series of drawings which could have been produced by celebrities to get themselves out of a jam. It's an inspired idea and each of the crayon drawings elicits a huge laugh from an appreciative crowd.

Hill uses quite a lot of the childish humour she admires in her act but because of the context she's set up, it never feels overly silly. A very funny bit about the strangeness of the 'i' before 'e' except after 'c' rule draws out an absurdity that we may remember from our school days but have long forgotten. Similarly, her inner response to encountering an old friend who has put on weight is typical of the bluntness of children, even though it has a touch of Groucho Marx's archness.

In a show packed with good jokes, there's some good stuff about her dissident behaviour at the Call Centre where she earns her crust and, in her finale, she uses an innovative technique to show the audience her idea for a tampon ad. There can't be many acts on the Fringe who make better use of their props.

This is a hugely enjoyable show and it's a performance with enough pizazz and confidence to suggest that Bec Hill is an act to watch out for.

Review date: 30 Aug 2010
Reviewed by: Jason Stone