‘Every attempt to fit in resulted in me being more weird and more isolated from normal people.’ ― Fern Brady, Strong Female Character
Andrew Larder recently enjoyed stand-up comedian Fern Brady’s Portsmouth show as part of her I Gave You Milk tour. Below are his thoughts about both her performance and a controversial issue that has accompanied it.
The New Theatre Royal (NTR) is a gorgeous venue steeped in history. It opened in September 1856 and was refurbished in 1900 according to designs by the famous architects Charles Phipps and Frank Matcham. The stage has a traditional proscenium arch with nautical-themed plasterwork and beautiful, detailed, painted panels. The front of the building is framed by cast iron. This includes a first-floor conservatory adjacent to the bars that gives views over Guildhall Walk. Fern Brady’s appearance at the NTR follows many notable performers from Sarah Bernhardt to Max Miller, Laurence Olivier to Laurel and Hardy.
The essence of any comedian is the ability to tell a story. Jokes are just micro-stories. Comics like Tim Vine and Jimmy Carr rattle them off like gag machine-guns. Short, sharp stories. Others, such as Billy Connolly and Eddie Izzard, weave elaborate sagas. Fern Brady explores her true life experiences – including Irish roots and religious parents – which she embellishes with wit and aplomb. This is delivered with a sparky, Scottish brogue. Up until four years ago she always felt the outsider, destined to be classified as odd. She wore different masks to hide her feelings and had violent meltdowns in private. Misdiagnosed as having OCD when younger, Brady later discovered that she is autistic.
She has been honing her act since 2009. As an intern for a free Edinburgh Festival magazine, she was given an assignment to try stand-up. Brady enjoyed it so much that she started performing on a regular basis. Several accolades later, she was invited to take part in TV panel shows like 8 out of 10 Cats. Now best known for appearing in the Taskmaster series, Brady is entering the mainstream of light entertainment.
Headliner Brady skips onto stage looking fearless, almost aggressive, but is soon laughing and chatting away to the audience. She starts with how she was courted for Strictly Come Dancing for her autism rather than her comic or dancing ability. They were keen for her to take part, she says, ‘as if I can be “cured” by the power of Latin American dance.’ This is a reoccurring theme throughout her career. Unimaginative TV producers, including those from Celebrity Bake Off are only interested, she feels, because of her autism. Riffs are delivered on how her boyfriend keeps her grounded, her agent’s constant exasperation, an excessive use of Botox and her mother’s disdain of her life choices. All this is told with brutal, self-effacing honesty and an evil pixie-like chortle. You could strike up a conversation with Brady in a pub and within minutes feel like you are lifelong mates. Amanda Pope, the NTR’s duty manager, confirms this by saying Brady was ‘really nice and easy to speak to.’
Brady says she is not looking to branch out into acting or presenting unlike her fellow comics. She loves saying the same thing night after night, revisiting the same places on tour, and credits her autism for this. Brady wrote a memoir, Strong Female Character, published in 2023, relating to her trauma of being ‘wired differently.’ The book describes how autism is often missed or misdiagnosed in women. Brady also tackles the sexism she has had to face within the entertainment world.
The poster for the tour, titled ‘I Gave You Milk To Drink’, got her into trouble with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The title is a reference to a quote from the bible, ‘I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.’ Corinthians, 3 3:2. Paul is telling the Corinthians he started with a softer version of Christianity i.e. milk because they could not cope, or comprehend the full truth of the mystery of faith i.e. meat. Even after he had tried to explain, they are still not ready to comprehend. Is the tour title aimed at paying fans or a wider audience? The graphics on the poster depict Brady expressing milk into the mouth of a monk, in front of a stained glass window. According to a complainant, this mocks the Christian faith, to which Brady replies, ‘Have they not heard of the Lactation of Saint Bernard?’
Saint Bernard was a Benedictine monk who said a statue of the Virgin Mary squirted milk into his mouth. Look it up. I did and it is true. Is Brady trying to make a deeper point about society? The absurdity of certain aspects of religion? A push-back against her childhood? An intellectual joke? All of the above? Or is there more she can say but feels we are not ready? Is any of this blasphemous or offensive to those of faith? The ASA upheld the complaint. Richy Thompson, director of public affairs and policy research for Humanists UK, said, ‘It is concerning that a comedian cannot make light of religion without fear of censorship. Comedy, by its very nature, often challenges social norms and touches on subjects that may be uncomfortable or controversial. Yet this is exactly why comedy is such a vital tool for freedom of expression and critical thinking.’
The ASA have a job to do. Created in 1962, they are expected to keep UK advertising ‘legal, decent, honest and truthful.’ They deal with over 30,000 complaints a year. In November 2023, Caroline Lucas MP criticised the ASA for not being truly independent as they were financed by the advertising industry. I am more offended by an authority that allows the constant bombardment of society with levels of advertising that borders on brain washing. Content that promotes junk food, unrealistic body images, unattainable lifestyles, and violent video games. If there is a God, would they be upset by this poster? They must have a sense of humour otherwise how do you explain the duck-billed platypus?
The last section of Brady’s act concentrates on a holiday where she experiments with magic mushrooms. Here Brady is at her most expressive, waving arms and voicing different characters in the story. This leads to a hilarious climax involving a talking cat. After an hour or so, Brady is done, she has been a mini tornado of laughs, ideas, and observations. This all seems too brief, but we know she will be back. I hope she continues to stay away from hosting quizzes, acting, and presenting. I feel that would be a dreadful waste of a brilliant talent to making people laugh. I hope she continues to poke fun at the more serious subjects in life and make us think with her unique comedy.
Photo courtesy of Fern Brady.
