Review of the comedian's tour show

It’s an interesting juxtaposition watching Chloe Petts’ tour show the day after the stage revival of Men Behaving Badly. Both deal with lads’ culture in an amused ‘men, what are they like?’ sort of way, but the stand-up’s take is funnier, more pointed, more realistic and more personal.

Petts is well aware she has a unique viewpoint on the topic. As she’s often mentioned, she’s frequently mistaken for a bloke, and doesn’t really mind. You can understand where the confusion lies: she has an androgynous look and is into boozing and football and women and Page 3  and lads’ rock like Kasabian (the mention gets a good reception in the band’s home town of Leicester despite the concerns over frontman Tom Meighan’s problematic behaviour).

All those interests set her up to be very good at another stereotypical male trait: banter. She mocks blokes for their many shortcomings yet maintains an underlying affection for them, helpless creatures they are. And you’d have to be pretty thin-skinned as a bloke to take umbrage at what she says.

Her own foibles are fair game, too, including her repetitive dating history of picking posh and pint-sized ‘babygays’ embarking on their first same-sex relationships – with Petts benefitting from just how low men set the bar.

This serves as a constant reminder that the comedian is looking at lads’ culture though a queer lens –  though as with much of her stand-up, the insight and distinctive perspective are worn lightly in the stream of anecdotes.

Likewise, her take on when masculinity turns toxic – as exemplified in her encounter with thuggish far-right marchers – says more than the straightforward storytelling might initially suggest.

Petts is one of those comics whose tour shows comprise a  first half of crowd work –  effortlessly entertaining in her case – followed by the Edinburgh Fringe hour. In the preamble, she also proffers an assessment of her audience composition. They are, she believes, a mixture of  like-minded souls and some who are only here to try to keep their finger on the cultural pulse. Turns out she’s a reluctant and unlikely role model for middle-aged folk trying to learn a little more about lesbianism after their daughters come out.

In a more personal hour than Petts has previously presented, we learn a little about  her mum – an ex-rocker turned church stalwart – and father, whose control of his emotions make him a quiet hero of the story.

Generally Petts is happy to let boys be boys – just not too much.  And while the leery alphas are troublesome, the  marshmallow-soft millennial version of masculinity as epitomised by Timothée Chalamet isn’t beyond mockery, either. As with so much of her material it sits somewhere between the cynical and the teasing.

Petts is an easy-going and empathetic storyteller, wearing her swagger and sharpness lightly under an innately matey performance, which combine into this agreeable package. 

» Chloe Petts is on tour with Big Naturals until March 8. Chloe Petts tour dates. Her show was part of the Leicester Comedy Festival, which runs until February 22.

Review date: 5 Feb 2026
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Leicester The Y Theatre