As stand-up comedians go, Melanie Bracewell is the real deal. 

She comes on stage – there’s no ‘apology’ or need to justify herself – she just has us laughing from the start. 

Unlike many stand-ups, she projects no manufactured persona, she’s just herself; what you see is what you get. Not that such personas are a negative attribute; they invariably contribute considerably to the comic style of the performer, but Bracewell is truly funny by being just who she is, together with a tendency to laugh engagingly along with her own material.

No doubt that material is carefully crafted and rehearsed, but it all comes across as spontaneous wit and off-the-cuff humour. The content is full of genuine comedy, but what makes Bracewell’s act special is her ability to see the humour in ordinary things, to twist ideas into laugh-inducing commentary and to extend a simple gag or joke and squeeze so much extra amusement from it. And it’s all done so naturally and with such perfect timing – we really can’t stop laughing.  

There’s also a real ability to respond to audience reaction – and she never misses anything. “He’s here!” she exclaims in mock horror as someone in the audience appears to groan when she tells a story about a recent dating experience – just one of many such witty responses. And the way she can bring back references, to real comic effect, from

earlier in her routine as the show progresses is as good as the best I’ve seen.

Although her material is original in both content and style, there are occasional hints of something familiar in one or two puns; and one short sequence does remind me of something similar that I’ve seen recently from Katherine Ryan.

But everything is ingeniously turned to Bracewell’s own particular brand of comedy.

There are no holds barred when it comes to sexual references or language, but it’s all used in the cause of true comedy so that it never degenerates into the cheapness of mere shock value, as it does with some stand-ups.

The performance that I attend is the first in Melanie Bracewell’s stint at this year’s World Buskers Festival and the venue is full, so if top class stand-up is your thing, this show is well worth the ticket price! 

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