★★★★
The opening crowd-work to Lina’s set is as old as the hills. It’s the usual ‘where you from?’ shtick, and silly jokes about the British. Yet, like much of Lina’s set, the obvious is a cover for something more subversive and direct. Lina doesn’t shy away from the racism she has experienced in her life. She argues with imaginary Gammons, challenging one who said ‘you don’t have a British face’. The very white audience (i.e nearly every audience at the Edinburgh Fringe) laugh but there’s a hint of feeling uncomfortable. Good.
There’s a lot of criticism levelled at stand-ups who make their audiences uncomfortable, but that’s usually because it’s justified, stand-ups who antagonise and trap their audiences. Ria Lina makes us feel welcome, but has important things to say.
There is some slaying of autistic sacred cows in the hour, Greta Thunberg to be precise. Although Ria Lina doesn’t target her, but uses her in a sequence about parenting.
Lina doesn’t phone it in (an idiom I hope she doesn’t take literally), she packs her hour with so much energy and detail, it puts a lot of other stand-ups to shame. Her routine about hormones is lovingly complex.
There’s lots of very funny material, but it’s a bit punchier to the Ria Lina people are used to from panel shows. It’s great to see an autistic comic who is confrontational and unapologetic.
Ria Lina: Riabellion is on at CabVol 1 at Monkey Barrel Comedy (Cabaret Voltaire) until August 24th
