I am a theatre fan first at The Fringe, but I love ending an evening at the festival with a stand-up comedian. They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but when I read the title “Teardrops on My Dildo”, I knew we were in for a treat.
Vanessa Larry Mitchell is a comedian from Australia who has a lot to say about parenting, sex and womanhood. I always feel apprehensive about these sorts of shows because a lot of it has already been done. We hear a lot of period and vulva jokes at these shows but Vanessa brought a fresh, filthy, no-crap attitude to these stories that gave a new perspective. She can call out a male doctor who slut-shamed her about how many partners she’s had, whilst simultaneously poetically describing and demonstrating a IUD insertion.
Nothing feels forced in this performance. Vanessa is genuine and no stories feel fabricated or exaggerated too much, although we may wish some were made up – the word pumpkin will make you shudder once you see the show. She had great rapport with the audience. You felt like you were sitting having a wine on the couch, chatting with your best friend about the crazy stories of Tinder, girls’ weekend dares and sex toys.
If you’re a comedian/ performer with small a reputation at the Fringe (or the UK in general), your audience numbers might no be as high as you’d like them to. With a name like Teardrops on My Dildo, I thought the place would be packed but it seems the word hasn’t spread about Vanessa yet. With some more bodies in the audience and laughter in the air I think the atmosphere would be even more electric and Vanessa could really shine. She’s a talent that needs some more loving to boost her even more.
Teardrops On My Dildo is so much fun and Vanessa is definitely someone to watch. It’s a mix of dirty stories, a lot of oversharing and fun. The show just needs a little more bums in seats for it to really flourish. Vanessa is a very funny lady and I can’t wait to see more of her.
Vanessa Larry Mitchell’s stand-up show Teardrops On My Dildo is playing at Bedlam Theatre on Aug 7-13, 15-20, 22-27. You can gran your tickets here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/teardrops-on-my-dildo
Theatre Scotland 
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