★★★★☆

Review by John Gibson. Venue 33. Pleasance Courtyard – Beside @18:05

Tessa Coates is a triple-threat; writer of comedy in a myriad of forms, performer of stand-up and improvisation, and producer of successful podcasts. As a privileged white lady she represents pretty much everything that I would avoid at the Fringe, and I mention this in the spirit of acknowledging my own unconscious (conscious) bias.

Coates talks of table readings with Steve Carrell and meeting publishers, only to sabotage herself with another of her ‘weird choices’. Despite not overcoming any barriers or having any mental health struggles to mine for laughs, she embraces her rather comfortable background and tells her stories in a powerfully engaging manner. It is lovely how she portrays her vaguely prudish but sweet vulnerability, and she casts herself as the outsider in all manner of situations.

This confidence also serves to sell material that ranges from being awkward about sex, from having a pony, to Enid Blyton and meetings in LA, as well as being mistaken for an elite marathon runner. All of this is delivered in Coates’ signature slightly-on-purpose nervy chatter. Pleasantly articulated, and with a warmth that the room can’t resist, she becomes a most engaging presence, engendering a real affection in the audience.

I particularly enjoyed a rote anecdote about meeting a self-involved military man who gives his surname as the name of his law firm. The gradual reveal, as this monstrous individual’s layers are peeled away by her questioning, is pretty low-hanging fruit, but her delivery and obvious relish in re-telling the tale elevate what another comic would merely get a few titters from.

There are several other stories which sound like someone recounting funny incidents from childhood, but her likeability, conviction and ease of delivery make her seem like someone who can just be funny by being themselves: the holy grail in comedy.

An extended story about the table read at Netflix relies a little too heavily on star power, and the name-dropping points to the fact that the comic is underplaying her status and value in the industry. Minor quibbles aside, Tessa Coates is the funniest female stand-up I have ever seen. I haven’t seen them all but I’ve seen a few, and if she can harness her winning personality with the right project she will go far.