★ ★ ★ ★
Full of charm, charisma and confidence, Catherine really knows how to craft an hour of comedy.
Catherine Bohart enjoyed her (successful) debut at the Fringe last year, but one thing has been troubling her ever since - and that's the reaction one lady sat in the front row (wearing a yellow cardigan) gave when she came to see the show.
In short, she hated it and was overheard at the bar afterwards - by her best mate Georgie and anyone else who would listen - calling Catherine "disgusting" for talking about her sex life. Which as Catherine points out is inaccurate because the show was about her OCD and her father being an Irish Catholic Deacon. But it was probably the mention of Catherine's bisexuality which forced the yellow cardigan wearer's prejudice to rise to the surface.
Even if the show was about her sex life (spoiler, this year's show is EXACTLY that) - isn't it commonplace for comedians to talk about their sex life on stage? Or are some of us still of the incredibly archaic opinion that only straight males can be afforded that luxury?
And it's worth saying now, whether you are or aren't a feminist, whether you are or aren't part of the LGBTQ+ community, but you do enjoy watching great comedy, then don't let a certain review from another website put you off watching Catherine Bohart perform because believe me, you'll be the one missing out.
This year's show Lemon is essentially a two fingers up at the lady from the front row as Catherine talks openly and honestly about her sex life with her partner of four years, fellow comedian Sarah Keyworth - debunking the myth that bisexuality is a choice and revealing what she misses most about sex with a man. Which when you hear her explanation for it, makes complete sense.
She also questions why men don't buy sex toys and looks into the origins of where the idea of "Lesbian bed death" came from and the answer probably won't surprise you.
But I know what you're thinking - when are comedians going to start writing material about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Well, you're in luck because alongside a lot of discussion about sex, Catherine has plenty of material about Venus de Milo, the often forgotten fifth and female turtle.
Balancing two narratives - one about sex and one about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - isn't an easy challenge to set yourself, but Catherine rises to the challenge, effortlessly weaving in and out of them both beautifully. A lesser performer might well have struggled, but not Catherine whose second hour is proof that she's here to stay.
Full of charm, charisma and confidence, Catherine really knows how to craft an hour of comedy, making sure that each seed sown across the hour grows into an important message by the end which moves the audience and takes them by surprise.
One small thing though... the show was missing the ending where Catherine reveals how yellow cardigan wearer did come to see her show and loved/loathed it - but sadly with only a few days left of the festival this is looking less likely. Either way, I'm keeping everything crossed.
Catherine Bohart: Lemon runs until 25th August at 6pm at the Pleasance Courtyard (Upstairs). Book tickets here.
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