Words: Calum Baxter
Image: Rebecca Need-Menear

4 stars 

Cecily Hitchcock brings her highly anticipated debut hour, Family Recipe, to the Pleasance this year. With over 30 million views online, she’s built a huge following and has shared bills with Hugh Dennis, Lou Sanders, Rob Delaney, and Ed Gamble. Her commercial work includes a global Maltesers campaign, and she’s also appeared in the ROMY music video.  

Cecily begins her show by highlighting the juxtaposition between her posh-sounding name and her unconventional upbringing in a new town outside of Cambridge. Having grown up at the turn of the century, Cecily regales her audience with stories about her eccentric parents and revolting sounding but somehow comforting family recipes that have survived through generations over a backdrop of early noughties references to politics and popular culture.  

Her charisma and stage presence is clear to see as well as her talent for storytelling which captivated the audience this evening. Cecily’s acumen as an MC is clear to see endearing herself to the crowd and ever encouraging one lucky audience member on stage to dress up as a banana while Cecily dressed as ham, one of the family recipe combinations in question. 

All in all, an enjoyable hour from a rising star on the comedy circuit. I look forward to seeing where her next stand-up hour takes us.

Cecily Hitchcock: Family Recipe
Cellar Pleasance Courtyard
20.10
5-30 Aug