Earlier this year Smurthwaite had a show, ironically on the subject of free speech, cancelled by the organising body at Goldsmiths University. Her new show takes that event as a starting point and turns it into what Kate does best - having a rant at the injustices and inherent contradictions of our society.
We get feminism, Islamophobia, burquas, mansplaining, choice, death threats and a cross dressing boyfriend. Having earned a place as one of the people TV producers turn to when they feel the need for a 'lefty feminist' on their panel Kate has some good stories about the more extreme views of audience members and the general out-of-touch idiocy of a Colonel Blimp type of Tory MP. All in her usual articulate, passionate, intelligent and edge-of-controversy style.
There are slides illustrating her points, which could be a bit hard to see at times, but also provided some laughs of their own. And a section where she asks the audience to deliver the punchlines that doesn't quite work - I'd rather she'd let the rant (about detention camps for asylum seekers) have it's head and go for a laugh at the end of what was quite a moving and disturbing litany of horrors.
But there are still plenty of laughs to compensate, as well as a bit of intellectual nourishment. The subject's serious, the results are funny, this is a very enjoyable show.
Kate Smurthwaite : The Wrong Sort of Feminist is in Ciao Roma at 20.20 until the 29th.
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