Review: TIFF STEVENSON: SEXY BRAIN, Soho Theatre

"What happens to a woman when she gets too old to be a manic pixie dream girl or a hot mess?"

This is the question that Tiff Stevenson, who announces herself to the audience as "a sexually-confident woman in her forties", sets out to answer in her latest show, Sexy Brain, which comes to the Soho Theatre after a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe last summer. It's a terrific hour of witty, honest and joyously self-aware stand-up, which strikes a masterful balance between laughs and shrewd social commentary.

The title of the show comes from the nickname that Stevenson has given to her ADHD, after receiving a diagnosis in her early forties. Throughout the hour, she pinpoints moments in her life which her Sexy Brain has made complicated: romantic encounters, coming of age, entering her forties. The result is a thoughtful study of what it's like to move through the world as a woman, and Stevenson makes several sharp (and painfully true) observations about how women's bodies are treated, scrutinised, commented upon and even medicated for.

Perhaps some of it is already well-trodden comedic ground, but nonetheless she receives knowing laughs, gasps and groans in all the right places. Stevenson derives humour from the ridiculous lengths to which women must go just to stay safe, keeping the audience laughing without undermining the disquieting facts of the matter.

Throughout, Stevenson is a sparkling presence on stage, immediately establishing an easy relationship with the intimate audience in the Soho Theatre Downstairs. She is quick to identify groups of young women or nervous men in the front row, and addresses specific jokes or comments to them with good humour, but without singling people out or making anyone uncomfortable. She's also an excellent mimic: throughout Sexy Brain, she variously portrays her Scottish partner, her Cockney mother, an obnoxious Californian twentysomething, and a simpering young woman who is "so posh that she bleats like a little lamb".

Sexy Brain is hilarious and witty, but also refreshing and genuinely thought-provoking - it's a pleasure to watch a woman talk so honestly and unashamedly about entering middle-age, and to acknowledge the grossly unfair position in which women find themselves during their forties. A mixture of outrageous anecdotes, sharp one-liners and clever running gags keeps this show moving forward at full speed, and Stevenson's energy is infectious and inviting. She has created a brilliant and well-executed set that is well worth a watch.

Tiff Stevenson: Sexy Brain is on tour until 28 May, including another date at Soho Theatre on 23 May

Photo Credit: Steve Ullathorne

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