Edinburgh Fringe Review
Alison Spittle: BIG ⭐⭐⭐⭐
By fred spanner
You know you’re in for a belter when a comedian starts talking about nearly dying, and you’re laughing so hard you spill your pint. That’s Alison Spittle for you, an Irish comic who’s taken a brush with sepsis, a hospital stay that could’ve gone full ‘EastEnders Christmas Special’, and turned it into a tight hour of comedy gold.
BIG isn’t just about her size (though she’s got plenty to say about that), it’s about how the world treats you when your body changes. Imagine if Bridget Jones had the gallows humour of Frankie Boyle and the self-awareness of your funniest mate after three G&Ts, and you’re halfway there.
Spittle works the room like she’s hosting a lock-in at the local. One minute she’s dropping killer one-liners about fatphobia (“the day Adele slimmed down was my 9/11”), the next she’s spinning proper war stories about hospital gowns, medical staff, and the weird sympathy strangers offer when they think you’ve been “brave.” Then there’s one of the best Shrek puns you’ll ever hear and the story of her “Pointless” wedding. But no more spoilers, let’s just say it’s honest, filthy in all the right places, and cuts sharply.
It’s the kind of set that leaves you buzzing, and with plenty to think about.
Fierce, funny, and BIG in every sense of the word.