After eight excruciating years away from MICF, Maria Bamford is finally back. The queen of frenetic and happy energy has triumphantly returned to a sea of thankful audience members, spreading the gift that only she has, as only she can.
Bamford’s unique melding of soft-spoken deadpan and grating emotiveness is what’s made her a staple of alt-comedy around the globe. There’s no gradient to what she does and how she does it – she’s the epitome of ‘love it or hate it’-style stand-up. There’ll be plenty of punters around the festival who won’t be able to get on board the Bamf-wagon, but thankfully, not a single one is in attendance tonight.
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While many of her previous offerings have centred heavily around her mental health, The Irrelevant Redundancy tends towards a slightly more universal appeal for the comic. Bamford tackles a huge range of brilliant and often ridiculous subject matter, all while staying true to her oddly optimistic tone. Her musings on the nature of goodness are not only ingeniously funny, but also beautifully insightful. The way she challenges the religious output of her own mother (the inevitable character addition to all her performances) is a perfect indictment on the rigorous rule-following of Catholicism, and a sweet tribute to the woman who has given her so much material over the years. There’s a thin thread of love that stitches its way throughout the entirety of Bamford’s hour, and even when she’s off on tangents about trying to get a restraining order on the President, the notion of loving yourself shines through.
The Irrelevant Redundancy may not be exactly what hardcore Bamford fans are expecting, but it is undoubtedly a glorious return for one of the most in-demand comedians around. Even if she’s back next festival, the wait will be too long.
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