Susan Calman: We Like This Lady

Londonist Rating: ★★★☆☆

Ah, Susan Calman. Bubbly wee stand up, doyenne-in-waiting of The News Quiz, serial tweeter of cat pictures. Who wouldn't love Susan Calman?

Well, Susan Calman, apparently, is not that big a fan of Susan Calman. Enough to end up having a massive nervous breakdown, not helped by several other non-fans who wrote spectacularly Homophobic Of Tunbridge Wells letters to Radio 4 and nasty tweets about her weight. So this show, Lady Like, is partly about how she learned to like herself.

It's an endearing ragbag of a show, touching on crap films, being short, Helen Mirren and ballet, all unconnected bar the fact that Calman wants to natter about them. For a Soho audience it's not particularly edgy — the provinces may disagree, but let's take a moment to consider how far we've come that this can be said about a show that spends a goodly portion on equal marriage and lesbianism.

Her wit is dry, her energy is infectious and her moments of visual comedy are disturbingly vivid (it'll be a while before we can wipe the image of pre-vomit retching, or the tirade of abuse directed at a pony, from our minds). The laughter level is more gigglesome than gasping for breath, but the main pleasure comes from simply being in her company.

And: #CalmanforDoctorWho

Susan Calman: Lady Like is on at the Soho Theatre, Dean Street W1, until 15 February. Tickets £10-£17.50. Londonist saw this performance on a complimentary ticket.