Words: Elodie Marriott 
Image: Matt Stronge

4 stars 

Filtering into Monkey Barrel, the first sight to pique interest is a loofah hanging forebodingly on the mic stand. The second is Alison Spittle’s sparkly ensemble that she promptly spills water down. With a mock apology, she tells us: “You can’t see nipples through sequins unfortunately.” 

Big is centred around Spittle’s weight loss; a lens that she expertly employs to examine her experience with “toxic monogamy”, health scares, and trips to Thorpe Park. She is a master storyteller with anecdotes so engaging that the set is made up of recurring gotcha moments that draw us in with her apparent sincerity, only for the rug to be ripped out from underneath us with a slyly delivered punchline. 

Her stories are vivid and impactful, featuring a cast of colourful supporting roles: unexpected allies (the French), her hetero-shrek-ual crush (DreamWorks’ favourite ogre), and sadistic nurses who are “here to drain your leg”. 

By the end of the show, we too wish to join her group chat (the criteria being mentally-ill comedian), in order to receive the same quippy yet concerning voice notes. Spittle leaves the stage to hearty applause. Nothing happens with the loofah. 

Alison Spittle: Big
Monkey Barrel 1 at Monkey Barrel Comedy 
16:45, 21:55
22 – 24 Aug