MEGAN Stalter is pure chaos. That’s apparent from her viral Instagram videos, her delusionally self-confident character on HBO’s Hacks, and from her debut Fringe show. The second she enters the stage half-singing about Scotland to a repetitive guitar hook played by her supposed “ex-wife”, we know this is going to be madness.
Online, Megan’s characters always have a theme. They’re failing, embarrassing themselves in nightmarish ways, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. But they’re always unbelievably sure of themselves and completely sincere. This idea provides the basis for Megan’s Fringe hour, simply titled “An Evening of Mayhem with Megan Stalter”.
It really is mayhem from the get-go. In true diva style, her opening number sees her finding empty chairs and moving people around to give the illusion of a fuller house. She welcomes the “London” crowd to the show. Audience members are brought on stage to provide her with a better introduction as she isn’t happy with how the first one went. Her reaction to audience members leaving half-way through was, surprisingly, one of the funniest parts of the show. It's extremely hard to tell what is planned and what is off-the-cuff.
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In a world where young people feel ever compelled to be perfect thanks to the constant presence of social media, Megan’s character’s willingness to go all out into full cringe is refreshing. Her songs are painful, her “light show” tragic, her book reading dreadful. But she’s so proud of them – and simultaneously insecure. Her complete and utter delusion is consistent, and she doesn’t break character for a second.
It feels like predominantly male critics are going to struggle to get Megan. The idea of a young woman who is so confident with very little reason to be may go completely over their heads. Some complain that there’s not enough plot in the show, but who says there needs to be a narrative? I’ve seen Stewart Lee do the same thing – deconstructing the very idea of what a stand-up show is – and get five-star reviews for it.
Here's hoping that Megan returns to Edinburgh next year so we can read the latest instalment of her terrible book series and learn more about her declining relationship with her “ex-wife”. It feels like the story isn’t over yet.
An Evening of Mayhem with Megan Stalter is on at Gilded Balloon Teviot from Aug 21-23, then 25-27
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