Review: AMY GLEDHILL: MAKE ME LOOK FIT ON THE POSTER, Soho Theatre

Amy Gledhill: Make Me Look Fit on the Poster begins with Gledhill posing a question to the audience - “Would you like to go to bed with me?” It’s a fun way to start a show, encouraging the audience to react, but Gledhill takes it a step further by completely redoing the beginning and handing out knickers for audience members to throw at her while cheering even more loudly than before. At this moment, as knickers are flying from the seats to the stage, the audience are charmed by Gledhill, and it certainly won’t be the last time. 

The show is mainly focused on one aspect of Gledhill’s life - the two things that she thinks about every night before going to sleep. But don’t worry, as there are plenty of topics that are brought up in relation to these two things, so many that one might even forget the main focus of the show before being brought back to learn about the second thing! Some of the topics include a misinterpretation of Go Ape, toilet roll, “willy kissing” and the classic game of “Would you still love me . . .”

But, even with some of these sillier topics, there is another main theme running through the show, one of confidence and self-esteem. Gledhill spends some time ruminating on a questions he struggles to answer - “What do you look like?” As a comedian in the public eye, Gledhill has had her fair share of people commenting on her appearance, which has led to a difficulty in acknowledging the way she perceives herself without the judgmental comments of others. It’s a fascinating subject that Gledhill is able to make the audience think about seriously while still interjecting with bits about Toby Carvery (“A Northern Disneyland Paris”) and the joys of living by herself for the first time. 

What makes Make Me Look Fit on the Poster so good is Gledhill’s incredible storytelling. She is somehow able to feel like she is both in command of the room while also making you feel as though you’re just having a chat with her over a cup of tea. She befriends several audience members and includes them in the show, referencing them over the hour.

In a particularly hilarious moment, Gledhill performs a segment about performing oral sex from behind the curtains, claiming that one of the audience members in the front row reminds her too much of her dad for her to do it with him watching her. 

One of the best aspects of Gledhill’s style of comedy is her ability to discuss more sombre subjects but then throw in a joke or two to break the tension and get things back to the more comedic side of the show. For example, when discussing a horrible thing that a ex-boyfriend did in university, she gains the sympathy of the audience and there are gasps of shock and disgust at what he has done, but then these turn into laughs as she pokes fun at the action and reflects on her past self. This happens several times throughout the show and makes for a great balance between the silly and the serious. 

Amy Gledhill: Make Me Look Fit on the Poster is a truly fantastic hour of standup comedy. Gledhill is a master storyteller who is able to get the audience on her side within seconds, taking them on a wild journey of climbing trees and perfect British Transport Policemen. 

Amy Gledhill: Make Me Look Fit on the Poster runs until 8 February at Soho Theatre

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