Review: JESSICA FOSTEKEW: METTLE, Soho Theatre

Jessica Fostekew is always 30 years ahead, and she wants everyone to know it. Jessica Fostekew: Mettle is a show in which Fostekew talks about her life through observational comedy, telling the audience stories about not only herself but her son, her partner and others.

Whether it’s her son’s obsession with drill rapper Central Cee or her partner’s interesting way of winking and strange flirting techniques, Fostekew is looking at her life and sharing her thoughts with us - the good, the bad and the controversial.

Somehow, Fostekew manages to take mini rants that may feel like tangents and turn them into one coherent hour of comedy that follows one central point - Fostekew believes that she is aging faster than everyone else. But, in some ways, she is okay with that. When referring to her early 20s in which she felt older, she says,  “If you haven’t played Boggle on mushrooms, you haven’t lived.” She tells us about how, as soon as she turned forty, she immediately felt a draft in the room, recreating the moment to laughter. 

Fostekew has a habit of laughing at herself that is absolutely delightful, particularly when she gets so into it that a snort or two escapes. Quite a few of the jokes throughout her show are self-deprecating or dark, but when you’re laughing along with her, you can’t help but feel that everything is okay. When she gets deep into a rant, she has a tendency to let out a growl of frustration before delving even deeper into the topic she’s focused on, including Married at First Sight as a form of self-harm and the bizarreness of “horse thighs.” 

But, along with making fun of herself and ranting about a range of topics, Fostekew also tells us about her journey in self-improvement. She has a passion for weightlifting and goes into a deep dive on CrossFit where she acknowledges that it is financially a pyramid scheme but quickly brushes this aside, stating, “My point is, it’s done miracles for me!”.

One of the highlights is her stories of using the Couch to 5K app, being encouraged by fellow comedian Sara Millican who is one of the coaches you can choose on the app. Along with fitness, Fostekew has also acquired a litter picker, showing it off to the audience and claiming, “If you drop litter, you shouldn’t be allowed to use the NHS.”

Finally, after nearly an hour, Fostekew reveals the controversial opinion that she’s been hinting at throughout the show. I won’t go into any spoilers, but it’s definitely a surprising opinion that no one in the audience would have guessed at the start! The show takes a serious turn after this reveal as Fostekew explains her reasoning, leading to a final reflection on the world and what can be done to make it better. 

Ultimately, Jessica Fostekew: Mettle is a brilliant hour of comedy with a surprisingly serious message about the future of the planet. Fostekew is a master at taking short jokes and turning them into fantastic callbacks, making for a show where anything could become a central focus. 

Jessica Fostekew: Mettle ran from 8 to 10 February 2024 at Soho Theatre.

Photo Credit: Matt Stronge

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