Esther Manito prefaces her show by pointing out there will be feminist material, almost as if it’s a content warning. This is a shame, because there’s some amazing fire in Manito’s performance and her social commentary is savvy, sharp and complicated. It can’t be an apology: she’s anything but apologetic. Her frank send up of nineties masculinity and Saturday morning cartoon racism pumps otherwise shocking realisations with plenty of punchline. She revisits a few topics and this approach allows her to pull back and reveal on graffitied genitalia, no less. Esther Manito’s Essex frankness is instantly likeable, her honest appraisal of family life brilliant and any rote material feels like a footnote in the annals of Comedians Having to Acknowledge COVID.

Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Louise Jones]