Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

The best comics have a clear brand - able to be described in just a few brief words. Tamsyn Kelly doesn’t really have that. Likeable, girl-next-door, perhaps, but that doesn’t seem a particularly strong flavour.

Yet it turns out to be more than enough to create an engaging, funny hour as she layers up everyday stories of her life into a satisfying bigger picture. By the time the show’s up, we know her situation a little more, but primarily have enjoyed a consistently witty volley of anecdotes.

The woman who ghosted her before a planned coffee date after connecting on a ‘make-friends’ app doesn’t know what great company she missed out on.

Kelly sets up the show with… well, karaoke. Not that it has much to do with anything. But once the vengeful spirit of Bryan Adams has been appeased, the comic tells us that she’s bad at decisions, either getting choice paralysis through over-thinking the options, or doing the exact opposite and making major life changes at a whim.

That’s how she found herself 550 miles from her Penzance hometown, having moved to Glasgow in the hope of converting a fledgling long-distance romance into a real one. Even if it meant moving into a one-bedroom flat with someone she barely knew.

Between them they muddle thought in their cramped  accommodation, him a bit hapless but trying his limited best. And should anyone want to fact-check Kelly’s story, her partner, fellow comic Stuart McPherson, also has a Fringe show at Cabaret Voltaire that covers their relationship.

Their figuring things out gives the wonderfully (and meaninglessly) named Hot Titty Bungalow its spine, combined with other stories of her valiant struggles to be an adult – even though she’s over 30. Moving to a new city comes with added issues too, such as trying to find new friends, hence the ghosting.

The show is filled with intriguing characters including her grandma who bitterly resented having given up her life to raise a family, a friend who identifies as witch (some Cornish stereotypes hold up), her ex, whose son to town with his interior design ideas in  their once-shared home  now Kelly’s moved out; and psychic Elaine, who is worse than useless.

These aren’t acted out, particularly – although we do hear the real Elaine on tape – but we do get to know them through the comic’s storytelling skills alone, Other yarns – such as her experiences with a cut-price love egg – don’t obviously fit into the narrative, but they never feel as if they’ve been shoehorned in.

Over the events of the hour, not only do we feel we’ve got to know Kelly better as a thoroughly engaging storyteller, she knows herself a bit better too. 

Review date: 6 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel Comedy (Cabaret Voltaire)