2011 Edinburgh Fringe
Jessica Fostekew review
Jessica Fostekew makes a promising start in her venue by handing you a fan. She has also brought with her some neatly constructed material, and the capability of creating some strong laugh-out-loud moments. This may well be her debut stand-up show, but it is clear Fostekew is an experienced performer. She dominates the stage very well, and is engaging and captivating.
However, she is perhaps a little too 'actorish'. It seemed very clear to me I was being presented with Jessica the character rather than Jessica the person. There was a nervous energy about her which prevented a certain amount of humanity from coming through. Often giggling through the jokes during the setup, Fostekew perhaps needs to relax into the swing of the gig and adopt a slightly more laidback delivery.
The juxtapositions between dominant woman and high pitched, excitable girl were a bit strong for me, and more consistency in her delivery would help in communicating that more defined character.
The set itself was well constructed. The stories told were amusing, and the punchlines were prominent and rewarding. For me, the best of these were when Fostekew opened her soul, and talked about things that made her vulnerable; such as the bad gigs, relationships and therapy. I wanted to see more of this, as I thought this was when Fostekew really shone. The show concluded neatly and satisfyingly with a smart message, if the ending itself was perhaps a little too contrived. But, nevertheless, a good debut from a strong performer.
Jessica Fostekew: Luxury Tramp listing