By Jessica Taurins
With Maddy Weeks, what you see is almost 110% what you’re gonna get. They flounce onstage, a teeny tiny powerhouse, who immediately brushes off a heckler with a self-deprecating joke and an expert redirection into queer community.
The wacko nature of their show doesn’t stop there, unsurprisingly.
Weeks’ show It’s All Good is themed around their almost-nearly-maybe breakup with their long term partner, the climate change scientist to their freelance comedian. Weeks claims that they’ve just come off their best and worst year all in one, which is a pretty promising concept for a show, if also a little bit sad.
Luckily, and small spoilers here, it does turn out All Good. But the process of getting there… well, every step forward is somehow more unexpected than the last.
Weeks gives off flawless confidence on stage, even as they tell fish-related stories no human should have to hear. Each individual story could perhaps use tightening up in their presentation, but from start to finish they leave everything out in the open, so it isn’t so bad – the moments of meandering make each raw moment feel more genuine.
What helps more is that Weeks is a charming, relatable goofball, openly discussing their hard moments with an air of levity, as expected from a comedy show. Honesty seems to come so naturally to the anxiety-riddled comedian – which, as it turns out, is not true, but that’s a spoiler! – and even though the stories are difficult, or sad, or just plain silly (pockets!!!!!!!), each is told with the gravitas it deserves, weaving the tale of their life throughout the performance.
As discussed, Weeks’ content can be tough. Not in a content warning way, but in a way where they make you think about how your life has shaped you and your relationships. Couples’ therapy is no easy game, and receiving it second-hand feels just as difficult in some ways. Then again, I didn’t have an embarrassing story about myself spread around my PRIMARY SCHOOL by the NURSES from the HOSPITAL I VISITED so I suppose my life is a little less rough.
Weeks deserves grander attention and grander spaces, so check them out whenever they next hit the stage. They’ve clearly got a ton of weird, freakish little stories up their delightful brain, and they should be able to tell them to a massive, frightened audience.
