Jen Ives

Jen Ives

Runner-up in the Laughing Horse new comedian of the year 2018
Read More

Jen Ives: Peak Trans

Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Jen Ives opens her show with an explosive burst of energy that takes the audience by surprise, setting the mood for an unpredictable and at times wildly entertaining hour. Ives is a fearless performer, keeping the audience on their toes and constantly changing the vibe and dynamic of the show.

The opening moments also allow her to make a sharp point about the ever-changing rules and laws affecting trans women. We get a glimpse into Ives’s upbringing and her relationship with her father, with the London Dungeon making an unexpected narrative appearance. 

The spectre of Graham Linehan, the Father Ted writer and scourge of the trans community, looms large over this show. He and Ives crossed paths at the LGB Alliance conference last year, and he has regularly attacked her on his blog, some of which are read verbatim to the audience. 

Ives jokes about the ‘good old days’ before the base and basic way trans women are treated in the culture wars. A throwaway line suggests she is tired of discussing gender critical beliefs, but feels an expectation on her to do so. Ives worries that the comedy industry isn’t as progressive as her previous workplace, but that story takes a further twist.

Sections of Peak Trans still feel like work in progress, and the show is far from slick, but this doesn’t make it any less engaging. Ives talks to the audience throughout, asking questions, testing attitudes and asking sometimes awkward questions – for example about porn preferences – acting as a segue into the next section that enables her to share more of her own experiences.

There’s a quick routine about JK Rowling – again taken in an unexpected direction due to the Harry Potter tattoos sported by Ives’ flatmate. And then the show’s unforgettable finale manages to say everything at once through an outrageous piece of physical comedy that ensures she has the last laugh.

• Jen Ives: Peak Trans is on at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose at 7pm.

Read More

Published: 24 Aug 2022

Past Shows

Edinburgh Fringe 2021

Jen Ives: Peak Trans


Edinburgh Fringe 2022

Jen Ives: Peak Trans


Agent

We do not currently hold contact details for Jen Ives's agent. If you are a comic or agent wanting your details to appear here, for a one-off fee of £59, email steve@chortle.co.uk.

We see you are using AdBlocker software. Chortle relies on advertisers to fund this website so it’s free for you, so we would ask that you disable it for this site. Our ads are non-intrusive and relevant. Help keep Chortle viable.