Sara Pascoe’s latest show Success Story is a pair of two hugely enjoyable halves. While the first explores the pros and cons of celebrity, the second is more personal, charting the ups and downs of motherhood. What they have in common is that they both leave you wanting more.
The opening section begins with accounts of various brushes with stardom, which started when Pascoe auditioned for a long-lost Michael Barrymore series as a teenage singer. The performance was so grim the footage has probably been incinerated. More recently she hoped for closure appearing on another musical show, but the result was barely better.
Pascoe is particularly good at pinpointing her precarious position in the luminary firmanent, in that limbo where the comedy cognoscenti hangs on her every panel show quip, while her therapist – no stand-up enthusiast – thinks she might be a deluded fantasist imagining she appears regularly on TV.
And then there are the encounters with bigger names in the fame game, usually backstage with canapes involved. There is a close encounter with Nigel Farage, a special gig for Hugh Grant’s birthday party and a mind-blowing meeting with astronaut Buzz Aldrin, “from the moon”.
Pascoe mocks her own position in this league table brilliantly with an account of being sent a sex toy by Lily Allen. The gift was supposed to be empowering, but her dog thought it was a bone.
The second act gets more personal. It is funnier and has more emotional edge as she goes into detail about the IVF process. The emphasis is on the lighter side of pelvic scans and sperm donations. Needless to say this is a – pun intended – fertile source for comedy.
Despite her initial misgivings, having a baby son means much to her and has prompted a recalibration of priorities. Parenting is obviously something she has given a lot of thought, as she discusses everything from random lactating to her own mum’s imaginary beef with a Spice Girl.
Motherhood for the 41-year-old comedian – something she never expected to happen or particularly craved when younger – is still a shock a year on. She cannot quite believe it and exclaims things such as “I’m someone’s mum!” to remind herself. She finds humour in every aspect, from choosing names to trying to calm her toddler – now a “suicidal chimpanzee” – on car journeys.
Success Story is a wonderful dispatch from Pascoe, beautifully constructed and eloquently delivered. Maternal material and showbiz travails could easily both slide into self-indulgence. But Pascoe has a fresh take and a playful, engaging style that draws listeners in. She finds the twin topics fascinating and she ensures that her audience feels the same way.
