I’m with the comedian Ania Magliano for the afternoon. First, a cup of chai latte (“I’ve quit coffee to help with anxiety levels”), followed by a visit to Fightzone, an east London gym where she attends regular boxing classes for their anti-anxiety benefits. “In my body, when I’m anxious or angry, I store it in my arms. I want to punch things,” Magliano says. “There’s a bit of a stereotype of, ‘Do you imagine hitting someone when you’re boxing?’. And, yeah, sometimes I do.”
Audiences for the 25-year-old’s latest set, I Can’t Believe You’ve Done This, will hear all about her forays into boxing, woven into a complex tale of personal reconstruction. Nominated for best show at the Edinburgh comedy awards, it’s deceptively lighthearted. There’s silly stuff about a terrible haircut, dating, volunteering gone awry and a threesome. These jokes provide cover for more sensitive subjects: breast reduction surgery, the urge to stay safe and, at the root of it all, trauma.
