Local legend Laura Davis has been doing stand-up comedy for 18 years, and I rarely pass up an opportunity to see one of her shows. She is the only person I’ve ever seen do stand-up while sitting atop a ladder blindfolded in a swimsuit (it made sense if you were there). Her latest show is fresh from an abandoned cat café at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, where she has received nominations for Most Outstanding Comedy, and it’s definitely worth seeing… though be prepared for it to wander into some very dark places.

Laura has a rare gift of finding the funny side of some of the bleakest situations, and she wrote this show after possibly the worst year of her life, though she spares us most of the details of that. Instead, her rambling monologue deals with literal and figurative nightmares, as well as death, depression, dentistry, gynaecology, isolation, suicidal thoughts, societal collapse, insomnia, cemeteries and clowns. 

Throw in some improbable recollections of her childhood and her working life, and several brilliant one-liners, and the result is not only extremely funny and engaging, it (spoiler alert) manages to end up on an optimistic note that will make you glad you came and look forward to seeing her next show.