Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Pleasance Courtyard, Forth
Playing August 15-19, 22-25
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you’re not familiar with American comedian Catherine Cohen, her show Come For Me offers up an unforgettable introduction. Dressed in an all-sequin outfit and shining silver boots, you quickly get the impression that Cohen isn’t here to pretend to be the girl-next-door wallflower.
At the start of the show, she tells us it’s her birthday (she’s in her “Jesus year”) and she immediately calls out someone for sitting with their arms folded, boldly proclaiming: “you’re blocking yourself from opportunities from the universe”. It’s clear to see from the off that she has a marvelous talent for turning the most scatty, seemingly random utterance into a side-splitting punchline.
As well as talking us through her personal experiences with freezing her eggs, taking shrooms and being a woman in her 30’s, she also sings a number of original comedy songs — where this superstar really gets to shine.
She performs her witty, sometimes deranged musical numbers with a candy floss sweetness that you can’t help but be endeared by.
No matter the topic, from masturbation to existential dread, Cohen’s delicate voice tinkles delicately across every word, no matter how silly, and the contrast is delicious.
One of the most absurdly funny moments is when she goes off-tangent in a song about healing to enthuse about all the different ways you can enjoy artisanal bread. It’s safe to say you won’t predict where any of the songs will go next, so strap in.
Her rapport with the audience is sublime, responding to any and everything they do with a wicked charm, throwing back absurd requests like “tell me all of your names”.
How much of her on-stage persona translates to her everyday self is near-impossible to tell because she’s such a richly textured character. But you’re not here for a slice of reality, you’re here for a comic vessel to escape the mundane for an hour and join a wonderfully whimsical woman on the foreign planet that is her brain.
Cohen’s star is certainly on the rise, so now’s the time to catch Come For Me at the Fringe before it’s too late. A dazzlingly zany comedy triumph from your new favourite American princess, this show proves that it’s Cohen’s world — we’re all just living in it.
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