EDINBURGH 2023: Review: SOOZ KEMPNER: Y2K WOMAN, Underbelly, Bristo Square

December 31 1999, Sooz Kempner was a teenager waiting for the world to change forever. With fears of the Millenium Bug in the air, when that clock struck midnight one thing was for sure, the world would never be the same. With big dreams and a big heart, Kempner stands before us today and tells us what it was like to be a kid with the whole world ahead of you, and how it felt for that to be threatened.

Taking us through her own mentality at the time Sooz Kempner talks of her dreams for the future, dreams such as growing boobs, winning the heart of her childhood crush or achieving international stardom. Using these goals as a form of a narrative, Sooz takes us through her life since that point and how she did or did not achieve these things. 

Admittedly, the narrative can be a little inconsistent at points, with Sooz seemingly trailing from the main story at points and talking about other parts of her life. Though all of these things do come together somewhat by the end to add to the overall point she is making, it can feel as though we are the ones to piece this together rather than it being told in a cohesive manner.

In spite of this the hour is led well by Sooz with a charm and charisma that lends itself well to Kempner's comedy style; self aware and a little bit cheeky. Equally so, much of the routines which she performs do well to get the audience laughing, all the while poking fun not only at herself but at culture in general.

She does insert singing into a fair chunk of her material which can feel unneeded at times despite her being an undoubtedly talented singer with a great voice, but occassionally it does work in tandem with the comedy to create a terrific punchline.

Ultimately, Sooz Kempner: Y2K Woman is an uneven show though one which never fails to get laughs or show off Kempner's strengths as a comedian, in spite of its errors. 

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