Little Lark of London

After an incredibly successful run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, including winning The Taffner Family Best Comedy Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Sam Nicoresti: Doomer Baby, arrives at Soho Theatre. The show is Nicoresti’s second hour of stand-up, following last year’s Wokeflake. Walking into the theatre, audience members are greeted by a mannequin with a jacket on it, as well as a table with a mysterious bowl sitting on top of it. 

Nicoresti begins the show by recounting a terrible experience she had at TK Maxx during Pride celebrations, when she went to try on a dress but received pushback from the person working at the fitting rooms. The story gives the audience a feel for Nicoresti’s comedy style of storytelling that has a message, even with all of the laughs. Quite a few of Nicoresti’s jokes and stories throughout the hour can be described that way – sombre in their implications yet hilarious in their execution. A particular highlight is a joke that she makes about trans rights that has her hiding behind the curtain and worrying that she’s setting trans rights back as the audience reacts.

That’s not to say it’s all doom and gloom, as the title of Baby Doomer might suggest. Nicoresti laments her lack of understanding when it comes to women, claiming she understands them through the Duolingo owl and comparing herself to Sméagol, which leads to an absolutely hilarious segment on how the Stoorish Hobbit from the world of J. R. R. Tolkien is a true trans icon. While Nicoresti may not be good at being a woman, she believes she is definitely great at being trans! But there are still some mysteries about the trans experience, with Nicorest asking questions like, including whether she should be called an aunt versus an uncle. 

An unexpected yet beautiful aspect of Doomer Baby is the introduction to each section of the hour. These are the quieter moments in the show, in which the lights go down and a spotlight shines on Nicoresti, who shares spoken word with the audience, allowing them to sit in the silence for a few moments before diving right back into the comedy. There is a beautiful moment about a trip Nicoresti takes to Cornwall, hiking to a stone circle that is said to have healing properties.

Ultimately, Sam Nicoresti: Doomer Baby is a brilliant hour of comedy with a heartfelt narrative about Nicoresti’s experiences as a trans woman, with the skirt suit being a perfect metaphor. The mix of sincere storytelling and funny jokes is a fantastic combination, fitting perfectly within Nicoresti’s style. May she find all of the skirt suits she desires!

Sam Nicoresti: Doomer Baby runs from 3 to 27 September at Soho Theatre Dean Street. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.