★ ★ ★ ★
A proud attention seeker who's not letting her debut hour go unnoticed.
Little Miss Baby Angel Face was never going to be the title of a show that belonged to someone shy and retiring and sure enough, within seconds the show starting, Helen Bauer makes it very clear that she's no wallflower - she's a proud attention seeker who's not letting her debut hour go unnoticed.
She has the confidence and self-indulgence of someone several Fringe shows in but thankfully it's justified because her material is hilarious, her show is structured far better than a debut hour should be and her crowd work is some of the best I've ever seen, switching between crowd work and material seamlessly and without awkwardness.
Some comedians you watch and can imagine straight away the sitcom they'd write and that was very much the case with Helen and she probably has her training at the Ann Bauer School of Drama (a drama school run by her mother in their own house), to thank.
Helen is a natural storyteller who doesn't just tell jokes, she really brings them to life by playing her mother or her father with ease and apparent accuracy (I've not met them, but I feel like I have).
Other stories brought to life include tales of her German grandparents, her dad's unusual moment in the shower, her mother's unorthodox drama games, her love of cheese, her tips for buying two kebabs for yourself without guilt and the awkward moment in which Helen told everyone her dad touched her (Spoiler, he didn't).
Pushing the boundaries on occasion of what's acceptable, or rather expected, Helen gets away with it and never leaves the audience feeling uncomfortable.
Helen Bauer: Little Miss Baby Angel Face runs until 25th August (not 14th) at 6pm at the Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker One). Book tickets here.
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