It’s rare that I actively celebrate Pride – not because I’m not proud of who I am, but because I am terrified of the outside world where I’m not the centre of attention.
That being said, Blizzard Comedy’s first ever Pride special was an absolute delight. Putting on a pride show in August is difficult as a lot of comedians are busy losing a lot of money and hopes and dreams in Scotland for the month. But, that being said, I am amazed at the calibre of queer comedians we were able to celebrate and showcase for our dedicated audience of fabulous neurodiverse queers.
Opening the show we had Eden M-W. Comedy magic is a hard thing to nail, but Eden absolutely does – embedding slick sleight of hand tricks in with a coherent comedy narrative and all the time holding the audience’s fixation and attention and not letting any air go to waste. A supremely talented individual, is there anything they can’t do? Yes, make decisions without the use of dice. (Same.)
Next, we had an act who’s fast become a favourite over the less than 12 odd months they’ve been doing our show. Saeth Wheeler is an authentically earnest comic, expertly crafting narrative arcs in their sets that make you feel like you’ve set through an entire Edinburgh show in 10 minutes (in a good way). Saeth’s set is jam packed with gags, so tightly curated and never misses a moment to get a joke in without distracting form the genuinely gripping personal stories and experiences they share. A true grounded queer icon, and I’m not just saying that because they said the Lesbian community would be happy to have me and I nearly cried.
Following them we had the creative wizardry of Ava Liversidge. Ava might genuinely be one of the funniest performers around today, merging awkward deliberate whimsy with surrealist use of props, creating what a comedy AI might look like, a topic that only gets more and more relevant as time goes on, and a routine that just gets funnier and funnier the more it escalates, contrasting with Ava’s anxious deadpan style. 10 minutes don’t do Ava’s brilliance justice, so come back and see her on September 11th to see her doing a longer set. I for one can’t wait.
Next up, The Impish Scribe brought in a sense of unfiltered joy and partying to the room, with an unparalleled sense of warmth. Self-described as the girl who hypes you up in the pub toilet, that is a perfect summary of her vibes. An incredibly confident performer who always makes you feel in on the joke and included, making her a perfect fit for the vibes we try to create here. A classically brilliant comedian, genuinely sharp insights, and a performer who is bound to lift your spirits no matter how bad you may be feeling in the moment. Just a pure serotonin generator.
And then we had the incredible Maxine Wade. Maxine is just a brilliant entertainer, full of warmth and cheek, a great traditional joke writer, as well as drawing influences from the height of alternative comedy in a fantastic combination of astute social-political commentary and fanny jokes.
Maxine channels everything from drag queens and carry on films to the satirists of the 1980s, Ben Elton back when Ben Elton wasn’t the most embarrassing person alive (I know, I was surprised too.) A true all-round performer that could entertain near any audience – but absolutely thrives on a stacked line-up of queer mostly-femmes. Wherever she’s performing, go and see her, you’ll have a whale of a time.
Opening the final section we had Blizzard favourite Katie Mitchell – who’s as brilliant as she ever is (which is very, for the record). Katie is flying the flag for modern alternative comedy, drawing clear influence from the godparents of the scene, but twisting it in a distinct way that really highlights the earnestly well-crafted shitposting sense of humour of millennials and gen Z. Katie is the kind of comedian that would’ve inspired me to get into comedy had I not already been doing it when I first saw her, and I’m so glad the circuit has someone as brilliant as her.
Next, we had the one masc presence of the evening (not on purpose, honest! Just women and femmes are naturally funnier). Roo Stellin is an exception to this rule, and his dark deadpan style beautifully contrasts Katie’s hyper-surrealist gothic vibes with their own hysterically morbid take on the style. Roo is an act who is going from strength to strength the last few times I’ve seen him. He has a compelling story, impeccable eye for escalating gags, and is not one to shy away from sprinkles of deliciously grotesque humour with absolute glee.
Roo is proof that men can actually be funny. If you don’t like male comedians, maybe give Roo a go and have your expectations challenged.
And finally, closing the show with an act who hasn’t performed with us since our very first show back in 2019, Red Redmond. Red has been a consistent and loved presence in the Northwest and Yorkshire comedy scenes for many years now – from running superb comedy nights championing grassroots alternative and queer comedy, to running I think the country’s first comedy agency specifying in queer performers, and being a skilled entertainer in their own right.
Red expertly commands any room they’re in. But, as with so many others on this line-up, it’s a specific delight to see them in their element in front of a room of unapologetic queers and clearly having an amazing time doing it. A superb gagsmith, an unmatched stage presence, a true queen of the circuit, and a phenomenal act to close the show with.
I had such a good time at this show! If you missed it, we will be streaming it on Monday 4th September over on Twitch.tv/blizzardcomedy and it will be available for 14 days afterwards to catch up on.
And why not book tickets to our next our next live show with Edy Hurst, Khalid Winter, Tom King and Ava Liversidge here?
Our Pride Special show was a benefit in aid of Sparkle, the National Transgender Charity, and if you’d like to contribute, you can donate to our GoFundMe page here.
