Jessi Ryan’s comedy debut with Functional Bottom takes on challenging subject matter and makes it funny and relatable. Ryan has an energetic stage presence and develops an immediate rapport with the audience. They take us through an autobiographical journey of medical drama, sex and relationships. The audience learns that no subject matter is taboo and that they can laugh at the trauma and graphic content in the show.
On the viewing night, the show had some technical issues with PowerPoint and the microphone. This did not distract too much, and Functional Bottom could work without PowerPoint. Ryan did lose their place in the material at times, impacting the narrative flow. A bit more polish could take this show to the next level.
Read: Comedy review: Alex Hines: Putting on a Show, Malthouse Theatre, MICF 2024
The content warnings should be considered before attending. If you are comfortable with the material, this is a debut worth seeing and could be the start of an exciting career for the new comic.
Tickets: $20.50-$30.50
Jessi Ryan: Functional Bottom will be performing at Club Voltaire until 14 April 2024 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF 2024).
Disclosure: Jessi Ryan is also a freelance ArtsHub contributor.
