Frankie McNair: Huge Ass Mindset review – a stellar comic finds laughs in the darkest places

By Brian Logan · The Guardian Culture

Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh With charisma and craft, the Australian standup discusses childhood sexual abuse in a show with a healing quality If fringe audiences know Frankie McNair’s work at all, it’s as a purveyor of vaporously insubstantial nonsense-comedy – see her 2023 show Relax Your Knees , which made a brief London visit. So it’s quite the pivot to Huge Ass Mindset, nominated for best show at the Melbourne comedy festival, which addresses the least frivolous topic possible: child sexual abuse. That’s no spoiler. While trauma-comedy convention would require McNair to withhold that bombshell until 20 minutes from the end, she makes it known – expansively, with heartfelt content warnings and astringent punchlines attached – from the get-go. For some time, McNair’s show toggles between material on her experience, and a commentary on how shocking she acknowledges that material to be. But it’s an urgent matter for the Canberra native, not only because ( according to recent research ) one in four Australians experience child sexual abuse, but because of a recent incident that brought her face to face with her abuser in the most extraordinary circumstances. That’s a jaw-dropping story to tell, and she has the warmth, high-strung charisma and craft to tell it – and to sell it, just about, as comedy. And as for the confidence? The show’s title describes the brand of bravado McNair has been cultivating to mend her self-esteem and make this story fearlessly her own. Continue reading...