one4review | On 28, Aug 2026

Liz Bains is back, and since last year, things have changed. OK, she’s still a spinster, but now describes herself as a cat lady in a healthy open-door relationship, negotiating the modern world Vinted-style, with pre-loved glee. She’s more polytechnic than polyamorous, the cost of living is biting, and she cannot understand the etiquette for shaking hands post COVID.

The main thrust of the show is Bains hitting a significant birthday and looking back at the woman she thought she might become. She has the inclinations of a bad girl, but in reality, she’s much closer to Snow White than the cocaine-fuelled version of the phrase. There have been wobbles, obviously, but what emerges is an observed portrait of someone still figuring it all out.

Her travels abroad provide plenty of ammunition, including the slightly unhinged habit of checking the local crime statistics before she visits with Agatha Christie intent. The three wildest things she’s ever done are both startling and wonderfully unexpected: recycling Armageddon, the latest female trends in weightlifting and a royal crush that may leave you gasping for air. Finally, she has a bucket speech, which is genuinely one of the best on the Fringe and almost worth the admission price on its own.

What makes the show work is Bain’s natural warmth and her laid-back sofa life; you imagine she’s written this with pen in one hand and a mug of milky tea in the other. Nothing feels overworked, yet the hour is packed with beautifully judged little details, unexpected turns that, unlike other comedians’ work, seem rational and true.

Again, Bains manages to blow the bloody Aga cooker door off with an hour of fun for everyone. So make time to spend with the seamstress who knows how to spin a proper woolly yarn. Just make sure you wipe your feet before you come in.
****
Reviewed by Steve H
17.50 t0 18.50
Carbon3
Until 30th August

…