Rebecca Donahue: Bilingual Comedian

Sitting through powerpoint presentations is rarely an experience anyone enjoys. In fact, it’s an interminable fact of life that each second spent looking at slides drags you inches closer to dying from boredom. However, Rebecca Donahue’s Fringe debut , ‘Bilingual Comedian‘, is one of those miracles of nature that defies all reason.

Donahue, a New Yorker now living and honing her craft in Scotland, is a comedian that aspires to cut through the bullshit and enjoy her art for art’s sake. This is reflected in her show - which is part of the free fringe - where she parodies a language tape by giving you the details that ‘Rosetta Stone’ will never teach you. In short, it’s more “these are not my drugs, officer” than “where is the information office?” This was done using the aforementioned powerpoint accompanied by a brassy, but not abrasive, Donahue whose wit and energy engaged a near capacity opening night audience. The rapport with her ’students’ was immediate having provided a ’jazzy commentary’ during the pre-show seat-filling period. This was maintained throughout thanks to the interactive nature of the show where laughs arrived in waves as the Spanish speakers pre-empted punch lines and phrase slides. You might think that would take some of the sting out of the funny but, if anything, it added to the warm environment that Donahue had cultivated. The slideshow was used efficiently to facilitate visual elements which supplemented Donahue’s material which, in the hands of a less accomplished stand up, may have seemed easy but Donahue deserves credit for her delivery and timing. Rarely did I feel a segment of the show to be overly long - the exception perhaps being her brief homage to Eddie Izzard but surely an artist can be pardoned for praising their muse.

With hundreds of comedy shows at the Festival vying for your affection, Bilingual Comedian is a gem - tucked away in a modest venue at a difficult time slot - that highlights what the free fringe is all about. Imagine your favourite class at school where time seemed to accelerate amidst the fun and chaos in the room. Now replace that teacher with a highly polished stand up like Rebecca Donahue and you have an idea of the warm feeling that the show bestowed upon me.

Reviewed by Christian Illingworth 05/08/10

Rebecca Donahue - Bilingual Comedian
Laughing Horse @ The Counting House
23:30 August 5th-29th