Not a single line misses
Witty, personable, and with a distinctly poetic edge – Laura Davis’ stand-up hour Albatross is a masterclass in nihilistic, yet hopeful comedy.
Davis enters the room, and is instantly bursting with energy – which is difficult, for a 3pm slot. But you’d be mistaken by thinking that this is a simply comedy show; Davis’ work is a chock full of hopeful poetry hidden amongst slick jokes. Not a single line misses; theirs is a show that doesn’t waste a single second – something of particular importance at the Fringe.
Davis dissects society – that is, patriarchy, gender, government, politics, mental health – in an accessible and pithy way. They even handles comedy about comedy in a manner that doesn’t feel overdone or gratuitous – when they mention that there are some reviewers in the audience and thanks us for coming on the last day, I feel regret only that this is a comedian I haven’t seen sooner.
The heart of Davis’ show lies in their feeling that humans no longer connect to one another, and this is something they wish for us all to work on. The more serious moments of the piece still manage to match the tone of the rest of the piece; their social commentary comes as easily as their jokes do. They keep their rhythm right til the very end, in which they leave us both laughing, and with the desire to keep up the conversation they have started.