ED FRINGE REVIEW Sarah Keyworth, Pacific

★ ★ ★ ★

A passionate, powerful and poignant tale about strength and masculinity delivered beautifully by one of the most exciting new voices in comedy.

Nominated last year for Best Newcomer, Sarah Keyworth returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a new haircut - which I only mention because she does. Shorter than it's ever been, it raises further questions for her about gender roles, a theme carried over from her debut but with extra intelligence, relevancy and poignancy.

She is by her own admission a small woman with the appearance of a teenage boy wanting to be a "big boy". A recent break-in at the flat she shares with her girlfriend who was in on her own at the time, left Sarah feeling feeling guilty and feeling like she should have been there to protect her.

We find out more about her girlfriend this year - comedian Catherine Bohart - how she's stored a Christmas Pudding under the bed despite neither of them enjoying it, there's a stash of pastry forks under there too for reasons that are still unknown and the effect her OCD has on their relationship.

Pacific is a passionate, powerful and poignant tale about strength and masculinity delivered beautifully by one of the most exciting new voices in comedy who was born to do this. If she's this good two shows in, I can't wait to see what Sarah is like in years to come.

Sarah Keyworth: Pacific runs until 25th August (not 13th) at 5.45pm at the Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Grand). Book tickets here.