Poignant and laugh out loud funny – a great way to start the Fringe!
Grace Mulvey, Irish comedian, takes us on a morbidly funny journey through her early life experiences where death and frequent funeral attendance is a fairly ‘normal’ affair. Death does not scare her in fact it’s her affirmation of a life better lived when we accept the certainties we all face. Her parting advice rings true, in particular, when life can be so fleeting – ‘lads LIVE.. live, laugh and love’.
Rolling Stone names Mulvey as one of the top 12 acts to watch in 2024 and she certainly does not disappoint. By choosing to broach a subject others would essentially avoid her delivery and comedic timing are effortlessly effective and she very quickly puts the audience at ease. Her Irish brogue and charm are warm and familiar combining cleverly written moments of quick wit which carries throughout her performance. The show’s blurb possibly carries an expectation of enlightenment and insight into an incredibly taboo subject, however there aren’t many moments over the course of the hour where Mulvey deconstructs the issue of death. Perhaps the blurb gives an alternative direction to the narrative which may confuse viewers fortunately, needless to say, it does not disappoint in its laugh out loud moments and relatable humour- for instance there are highly entertaining and educational moments when one learns of the speed of an Irish burial or the fact that there is a website simply for funeral announcements alone in Ireland! A much more practical and devil may care attitude to the darker content of death makes this a show worth checking out this fringe. Line it up in your list of shows for the next 3 weeks as “Grace Mulvey Did you hear we are all going to die?” is one to watch this Edinburgh festival.