Claire Parker’s 32 promises one hour of stand-up exploring “the pros and cons of having kids, turning 30, and being terminally online.” It is probably best suited to those already familiar with Parker’s work via her comedy podcast Celebrity Memoir Book Club (CMBC), which she co-hosts with her close friend Ashley Hamilton. I’m a big fan of CMBC, and I think Claire is very funny when discussing the ridiculous memoirs of celebrities, but I was curious to see how her sense of humour would translate to the stage at the Fringe.
Parker is quick to dive into the primary dilemma of her show – whether or not to have children with her husband. She approaches this subject with refreshing honesty, and this material works particularly well. Her stage presence is confident, and her rapport with the audience is strong.
The second half of the show felt less successful to me, as Parker leaned heavily into stereotypes about being a young, naïve American. An extended discussion of preventative Botox doesn’t quite land in Edinburgh the way it might in vanity-obsessed Manhattan. A bit about learning the difference between Holland and the Netherlands also falls flat, which might have been anticipated, given Scotland’s close cultural and political ties to Europe – not to mention the fact that it is a shorter flight from Amsterdam to Edinburgh than from Boston to DC.
Perhaps the lowest moment of the show came when Parker accidentally referred to “this country” as England during a joke about the royal family. Ouch. This is arguably the most cardinal sin a performer can commit in Scotland, where nearly half the population supports independence, and only 17 percent of young people support the monarchy. Parker did recover well from the misstep – I give her a lot of credit for bouncing back where a lesser comedian might have faltered – but the moment reinforced an impression of cultural ignorance, at a time of year when the influx of wealthy visitors from cities like London and New York often makes Edinburgh feel unliveable for its full-time residents.
All in all, Claire Parker’s 32 is an enjoyable show, which fans of CMBC will particularly appreciate. It was a delight to see Parker on stage after so many months of listening to her podcast on my Meadows walks. I hope to see her return to the Fringe in the future. She is witty, charismatic, and has a clear vision for her comedy. The final missing piece may simply be a little more research into the cultural context in which she is performing.
Claire Parker’s 32 is running until 11 August at Just The Sub-Atomic Room at Just the Tonic Nucleus.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Image courtesy of Just The Tonic, provided to The Student as press material.