British comedian and actor Kirsty Mann has a doozy of a secret – she’s also a doctor. After nearly a decade of hiding her double life, she’s finally ready to let her Skeletons out of the closet.
With a warm stage presence and killer jumpsuit, Mann details her mishaps and near misses through a mix of monologues, short vignettes and the occasional musical bit. Her medical stories are too visceral (and occasionally blood-pumping) to be anything but the truth.
Her character work is well-executed, with accents pulled from each corner of the UK (as well as Australia and the tiny village of Europe). While the set occasionally loses some momentum, the show provides a mostly tight narrative that reminds us that we are more than what we do.Â
There’s a short and difficult section where Mann details her experiences as a healthcare worker during the height of COVID in London. Melbourne audiences are well-accustomed to lockdown stand-up material. The heartbreak that Kirsty generously shares is a stark reminder of why we committed to those restrictions in the first place.
Imagine if Fleabag was an anaesthetist, a comedian, an occasional mermaid and, most importantly, a genuinely kind person. That’s the general vibe of Skeletons.Â
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Tickets: $22-$28
Kirsty Mann: Skeletons will be performed in The Tower at The Malthouse Theatre until Sunday 7 April 2024 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF 2024).
