AMELIA RYAN:THE BREAST IS YET TO COME Gluttony Until 11 Mar 2018 Review by Maggie Wood Amelia Ryan hits the Fringe with a show detailing her pregnancy and birth experience – a genius move because, as she points out, everyone there has either been pregnant or is the result of a pregnancy. The scope and reach of her audience being established, she goes on to populate the next hour with a repertoire of songs and comedy that hit the nail on the head. One of Ryan’s talents is her batch of incongruences; she is glamorous enough to grace the cover of any magazine, and yet she is a 100 per cent dag – meant in the most complimentary way. This is fuel for her comedic ability and she is quite happy to exploit that illusion of glamour in exchange for laughs, which she does gloriously during this show. Also, she is well spoken and evidently articulate, but not averse to slugging back a glass of vino collapso while stating to gales of laughter, “I’m not pregnant now, bitchez!” The audience lap it up in a cathartic wave of empathy as stories of cankles, hormones and pregnancy tests tumble forward. At the same time, interwoven with the stories are seriously funny songs on the subjects at hand, using popular tunes and custom-written sharply funny lyrics. The melding of dialogue and song is tight and throughout the show Ryan is beautifully accompanied on piano by Helpmann award winning entertainer Michael Griffiths. And that’s another of Ryan’s skills. One minute you’re laughing your head off, and in a lightning switch she has turned the mood from laughter to melancholy. You will shed tears of both kinds within seconds as she uses her beautifully powerful voice to take you down the more reflective roads of bringing a new life to the world. This is cabaret at its best. See it. Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)