Gig Report: Desiree Burch: The Golden Wrath at Monkey Barrel
“THE Menopause”’ is introduced on stage with that old school showbiz razzle dazzle. Desiree Burch has a lovely motif of presenting various stages of menopause and the perimenopause with bold embodiments and sparkly personifications. And the message she wants to express is that the menopause is a one date only engagement but its warm up act is a decade long residency before the main event.
Let the praise machine begin! Burch (Californian by birth, Londoner by swagger) is a brilliant, consummate stand-up. A themed show, often autobiographical, told in punchy joke dominated packets. Every sentence of exposition neighbours an elite punchline; no intimate revelation is played for pathos rather than thrust. Aside from a perfect observational mid point set piece about the evolution of teeth brushing, this is a show that stays on message without ever feeling like assignment work. Maybe that clip and tightness is accidentally due to Burch having to cram a 90 minutes touring show into her old 60 minute Fringe time slot. But I highly doubt we abandoned any quality.
Burch stokes the room with flattering assessments of which positives each generation has brought to 2026 society. The enviable achievement of Millennials growing up with bouncy tarmac in their play parks to Boomer mothers with no boundaries. Each and every complimentary salvo unites us with Shahed drone accuracy and reach. Easing us over with minimal force onto her main topic: being a Gen Xer facing an inevitable (and often still underdiscussed) biological shift. The Millennials didn’t just enjoy safer landings under their climbing frames, they gave us all the normalised language of therapy and the amplified voice of social media to understand mental health. A show with qualified praise for Instagram is a rare metal indeed. Sharing is normalising.
A third act sequence sees Burch racing in the red through all 66 symptoms of the perimenopause. Finding the funny ironies in every one and often the unnerving body horror. A main tenet of the show is while “the change” is no longer taboo, it is still misunderstood. Jenny Eclair and the brilliant Kathy Burke have swum these waters before but it is fair to say they played to their own demographic whereas Burch casts her net wider. Leaving no man, nor Gen Z-er, behind. A Cleveland Airport stress dream is a tension twisting masterclass very much in the classic North American stand-up mode. Impact wrestles attitude.
The whole performance is persuasive to a point where Burch demands a howling Saturday night response. An art centre’s polite applause is an insult to the way this is all devised to thrum along. Her presentation is immaculate yet she never strays into feeling too scripted or theatrical. You gotta love someone taking a traditionally awkward topic and mastering it by being punchline driven… backed up by oodles of charisma.
Inclusive, informative and inspired.
- Bobby Carroll
Top Seven Shows Coming Soon
Bobby’s curated selection of the imminent comedy shows you’ll want a ticket to these next few weeks…
Saturday 21st of March Doctor Bonk’s Macabaret at The Banshee Labyrinth
Saturday 21st of March Joz Norris: You Wait. Time Passes at Monkey Barrel
Sunday 22nd of March Craic Hoose Comedy with Michael Welch at The Boston Bar, Old Town
Tuesday 24th of March Harry Enfield And No Chums at Usher Hall
Wednesday 25th of March Grace Mulvey: Did You Hear We’re All Going To Die? at Monkey Barrel
Sunday 29th of March Scott Bennett: Stuff at The Stand
Plus…
The One Booking Now You Shan’t Want To Miss
Saturday 10th of April Clown Extravaganza with Phil O’Shea at The Banshee Labyrinth
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