Review: Kemah Bob – Miss Fortunate, Fringe 2024

Hand on heart, I cannot tell you why I booked to see Kemah Bob. I hadn’t heard the name before, and I doubt very much I felt a kinship with a queer woman of colour from Texas.

I can tell you that I’m glad I got my ticket and my arse into the sweatbox that the Pleasance’s Baby Grand can become. I enjoyed myself so much that I didn’t even notice the heat.

We’re lucky in Edinburgh that talent from around the world comes to us. I always try to experience something new, someone different and broaden my horizons. Kemab Bob is my champion example of why that’s a good idea.

I sat down, assumed stand-up and was delighted to get bonus singing. Yep, Kemah sings.

Tone

Kemah Bob’s holiday in Thailand is a nightmare. It rings horribly true.

Kemah Bob’s experience with mental health care is a thing of nightmare. It rings horribly true.

The good news is that Kemah is the avatar of defiance. Life might be full of lows and downs, but there are also accompanying ups, and although this talented young comedian doesn’t say it, clinging onto or looking for the next best or most positive step might be the only thing to do.

I really think Miss Fortunate’s tone is about carrying on and doing your best. It might be presented in the guise of life’s hardships and brains being brains (they’re not always our friends), but my takeaway is of Kemah battling on, charging on, or blithely dancing on. That, at least, was my takeaway. 

You might see something else. In fact, you probably will. Cleverly, Miss Fortunate is told so strongly from the very focused Kemah Bob lens that the audience will see plot twists and gotchas coming before Kemah apparently does in the story. By being invited or lured to get there first, we’re led into thinking about it. The Thailand story becomes ‘show, not tell’ in the telling.

What to expect

There’s a little crowd work, and while Kemah is evidently not shy about calling out white guy privilege, she’s not mean about it. 

There’s singing! There are three or four hero pieces that bring the story home, underline a point, and keep the tempo up.

The tempo and energy throughout are high. Here’s a comedian whose force of will and charisma can carry a whole audience. Is she on TV? She should be.

There’s also more traditional stand-up, jokes, set-ups, callbacks, and all the other clever things storytellers do. Kemah knows how to work the room. 

On that note, the Pleasance is always busy. Don’t try to grab food just before the start of the show, and prepare for the heat. 

Overall

Miss Fortunate is a hilarious and scary ride! It’s a frightening mix of delight and despair, all told with the same infectious grin.

I’ll gladly book to see Kemah Bob again, and I suspect she’ll be in command of a larger venue.