Francesca Martinez:
In Deep
The Stand Comedy Club
The Stand Comedy Club II @ 17:15, Aug 2-26 (not 13), (1hr), £7.00 (£6.00), £8.00 (£7.00)
*****
In the reasonably near future, this kind of lead-in will be completely unnecessary, but considering the ‘intimate’ size of venue she is playing in, I must assume that regrettably she is yet to become a big popular name in comedy and therefore I feel obliged to provide an introduction. You probably know who Francesca Martinez is, even if you don’t know it. She was the girl with cerebral palsy in Grange Hill; she has also appeared as ‘girl with cerebral palsy’ in Casualty and Extras. There… now that’s out of the way, I can get on with telling you how great she is!

Did I mention she has cerebral palsy? Or as Martinez would put it… she’s wobbly. Due to this, and possibly also because, by her own admission, she is incredible lazy – she’s rather more a sit down comic than a stand up one.

Her previous shows have focussed quite heavily upon her disability, less so this time, although I’m sure that will always be a factor. She’s a very deep thinker, hence the title. Her material passes through love, politics, religion, procreation, morals, corporations, language, the meaning of life, you name it frankly.

Martinez is tremendously engaging, while her head and body spasms she fixes you with her enthusiastic mischievous eyes. She’s an irresistibly charming performer and warmingly gracious behind her spiky wit.

Martinez has mastered the two-liner, coaxing you into concepts, twisting them and spitting them right back. She has a delightful passion for whimsy, frequently jaunting off into imagined set-ups and contrived conversations leading a willing and eager audience along with her as though she’d got them on a leash. She had me in the palm of her wobbly hand.

Go see Francesca Martinez now… and cherish that intimacy, while you still can.

by Ian Phillips

The National Student's
2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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