Review by Jessica Bradley
Rolls of laughter were heard billowing out of The Cookie during Canadian Kate Barron’s Made You Lick sold-out gig.
Setting the tone of the whole night with her initial, um, intimate joke, you knew exactly what kind of night you had signed up for. Barron brought relatable, authentic, frank jokes mixed with great dollops of crudeness which was devoured by the crowd.
Drawing inspiration from her own personal life, she talked about her dating woes. From outrageous Tinder messages from men to finding her perfect, ticking-all-the-boxes bloke in an Uber driver, Barron talked about it all. And although her topics of choice are not new, Barron managed to deliver her own personal twist, breathing fresh air into dusty old jokes.
Her brutally honest, unfiltered view on the dating scene leaves you questioning what on earth is wrong with some people. Why do men message the most random things on dating apps? Should you really be dating someone who wears socks in bed? And should you really be dating a short, bald guy?
Kate Barron is like your inappropriate auntie, the one that always tries to give you dating advice and talks about her escapades. And yet, despite the graphic material, there wasn’t an ounce of awkwardness in the room. She managed to weave her way around the potential discomfort, dropping punch after punch and gag after gag. And she left you questioning your choice in nail polish.
Her ability to handle the crowd oozed confidence, but that should come as no surprise. Kate has been named ‘one to watch’ by the Toronto Star and CBC, and she won the Comedy Store’s survival-of-the-wittiest King Gong show in London.
Barron’s enthusiasm and honesty really connected with the audience. And for some, that connection was a little stronger: her decision to randomly pick people out of the crowd and give them a roasting only added to the hilarity. The moral of the story? Don’t sit on the front row.
Read our coverage of the Leicester Comedy Festival here: https://leicestershirepress.com/category/leicester-comedy-festival
