Anna Burnside reviews ‘a delight’ of a show.
What happens when you get bored in lockdown and start making comedy videos spoofing your unbearable colleagues and neighbours? In Zara Gladman’s case, you end up lathering yourself in anti-bac hand gel in a swampy basement in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Her breakthrough comic creation is Aileen, doyenne of the West End of Glasgow, maven of the Neighbourhood Watch committee, record breaking plank holder in her Pilates class. Her bassoon-playing, rugby captaining son, Cameron, is planning a gap year and his mother’s helicoptering supervision of his fundraising efforts is the premise for a Fringe show.
Aileen is so recognisable that a good chunk of G12 has crossed the country to see their own foibles replayed live on stage (I met someone from my NCT group circa 2005 in the bar beforehand).
Halfway in, Aileen is replaced by Zara as herself, performing sharp comedy songs. These cover all the late millennial obsessions: ceramic shopping as therapy, internet trolls, parenthood.
Gladman’s whole show is a delight. It uses technology cleverly and brings in contemporary references to fully set up Aileen as Glasgow’s Hyacinth Bucket. But at heart it relies on observational comedy of a type of woman who is rarely observed without the lens of sexism.
Gladman just sees the funny, the petty and the ridiculous. Plus, there’s a raffle. Doesn’t get much better than that.
Zara Gladman is … Aileen: Cameron’s Gap Year Fundraiser is at Monkey Barrel Comedy (The Hive--Hive 2) at 19:35 until August 10, 2025.
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