Welcome to the House of Eryn, our chef and waitress of cranium delights.

At first sight, you may wonder what exactly you’ve walked into, with Eryn dressed in slightly ill-fitting red chef’s overalls. Don’t expect any Ratatouille-meets-Disney vibes or Marx Brothers slapstick routine here. Our table is definitely on the quieter side of the id.

So what is this all about? There is actually no food on offer. This is a tasting menu of jokes, with your mind the silent critic, where only laughter counts as a rating.

The approach to this is soft, and a bit like turning on a radiator. You won’t notice what’s going on for a while, but make no mistake, Eryn is in complete control and soon enough you begin to feel the warmth itself.

So, like all good meals, we have a starter. Like one, the jokes aren’t filling our stomachs, but in the hands of Eryn, the joke, like food, is the fuel and she is the thrust that makes everything go down easily. Things are beginning to heat up, especially when she launches into the Maniac song from Flashdance. There is also no scattergun, quick-fire approach to the jokes here; it’s smooth and soothing, like a brain sorbet.

Then comes the main course, and the jokes start getting better as she attempts a classic comedy roast of the audience. Now she’s getting into her stride and winning the crowd over. And let’s give credit where credit is due. There aren’t many performers these days who would attempt a “yo mama” Beaver joke alone, where the full punchline involves the animal. The crowd are fully on board now, and Eryn knows exactly how far she can push it.

Next comes the final course, a glorious Eton Mess of proceedings that needs to be seen to be believed.

This show is an absolute angel delight. It feels like a retro 90s performance piece, as if Elf Lyons and Vic and Bob opened a restaurant of the mind. Where they would probably have stopped the sketch after five or ten minutes, in Eryn’s hands, it doesn’t need to be rushed, and it’s layered beautifully like a Viennetta Whirl.

Eryn commits to the bit completely and makes the 50 minutes a glorious collision of intelligence and stupidity. The only difference is you may not necessarily realise immediately whether it’s genius or what category it falls into until you get to the chippy on the way home.

Overall, this is a wonderful piece of comedy that you rarely see these days, delivered with such care and delight. The slow-burn approach works so well, and the key ingredient/secret sauce to proceedings is Eryn herself as your host, chef, brainiac maniac and everything in between.

Food for thought indeed. Mark this down as another Free Fringe gem.

Garden Room at Laughing Horse @ Bar 50
6th – 30th

20:00 (50 mins)