Watching Kate Smurthwaite doing stand up is like watching a recording of a Tory Peer’s night terrors: not only is she funny, but when it comes to tearing apart injustice, she’s absolutely bloody unstoppable. Armed with razor wit and a tongue that could melt through a tank wall, she proves that, in her own words, she is “just as angry as Frankie Boyle” - what results is
Kate Smurthwaite is an impressive comedian to watch in person, and The Wrong Sort of Feminist is her at her strongest: clever, confident and fierce as hell
Based off her experiences of feminism, religion and protest, The Wrong Sort of Feminist bounces from subject to subject like a rubber ball in a small room. From some admittedly low blows at Towie stars to thoughts on printing out 163 pages of Twitter abuse, Smurthwaite never relents - and seldom did a punchline go where I expected it. As someone famed for controversial opinions, she’s well versed in verbal ripostes at her critics, and these make for some of the funniest gags in the show; Smurthwaite is at her best when her jokes have claws, and boy do they dig deep.
But if you go expecting wall-to-wall comedy anecdotes, you might want to check your expectations at the door. If you’ve read this far down you’ll know Smurthwaite is undeniably funny, but the subject material demands darkness in amongst the laughter; quasi-lecture and quasi-feminist sermon, the impassioned speeches intercutting the gags were more than just rants: they represented a more subtle triumph of Smurthwaite’s acidic style of delivery - for whilst the passion and militancy in her beliefs were clear, it never came across as self-righteous or preachy. It’s not 100% laughs though, and if you’re not in the mood for social commentary, you should probably pay her a wide berth.
Kate Smurthwaite is an impressive comedian to watch in person, and The Wrong Sort of Feminist is her at her strongest: clever, confident and fierce as hell. And if you don’t think you’re the kind of person who’d agree with her, I’d encourage you to go - I know from experience that Smurthwaite has a talent for prompting radical changes in opinion. Both hilarious and harrowing, Kate Smurthwaite proves outrage can dance to a soundtrack of laughter.
