REVIEW: LAUREN PATTISON - BIG GIRL PANTS @ LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE

🎭 Lauren Pattison: Big Girl Pants

📍 Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7BX

🗓 Wednesday 26th March 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

HEARTFELT AND HILARIOUS WITH BIG ENERGY

On Wednesday evening, I went to see Lauren Pattison’s latest comedy show BIG GIRL PANTS, a thoroughly enjoyable blend of comedy and storytelling that offers a heartfelt yet humorous look at life’s highs and lows. While some stand-up acts rely on shock value or audience interaction to keep the energy up, Pattison proves she doesn’t need to lean on either to entertain. Instead, she delivers an engaging, down-to-earth and cleverly structured performance that keeps the audience laughing throughout.

Pattison’s comedic style is to be a storyteller, and her material – while personal – feels very relatable. For her show, she’s woven together hilarious accounts about the transition from her twenties to thirties, about how she’s tried to live life more bravely and how she’s navigated difficult experiences. She delivers it all with a warmth that makes her instantly likeable. What I found particularly impressive, though, is Pattison’s ability to handle heavier topics without ever losing the comedic tone. She strikes a perfect balance, ensuring that the humour never downplays the seriousness of the subject matter but rather enhances it, making her storytelling all the more memorable.

Pattison’s delivery is high-energy, with a quick pace that gives the sense she has so much to say and no time to waste. Unlike some comedians who leave deliberate pauses for laughter, Pattison keeps going with infectious enthusiasm, making her show feel like a natural conversation – albeit a very quick one – rather than a rehearsed routine. This approach worked well, adding momentum and keeping the audience engaged from start to finish. Pattison’s use of the stage was also something I picked up on. Throughout, she makes a conscious effort to face different sections of the audience and use the full length of the stage, speaking to the entire auditorium.

Structurally, the show is well thought out, with clever callbacks to earlier jokes that create a satisfying, cyclical feel. It was these moments that demonstrated Pattison’s skill in crafting a cohesive narrative and gave an insight into just how thought-out and interconnected her material was – as opposed to merely being a series of random jokes. While she doesn’t engage in much audience interaction, it says a lot that she doesn’t need to. Her presence and material alone are enough to hold the audience’s attention for the full 70-minute set.

Before Pattison’s performance, the night kicked off with a 20-minute warm-up act from Lee Peart, who I’d seen before. His light, fun style complemented Pattison’s perfectly, and while some of his material was familiar to me, his fresh moments had me laughing a lot.

All in all, it was a fun, well-paced evening of comedy. Pattison’s ability to mix humour with the hard-hitting, her structured yet natural storytelling and her infectious energy made for a thoroughly enjoyable watch. And it’s a testament to her talent that she can take audiences through moments of deep reflection while keeping them smiling all the way.

Estelle Luck

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Big Girl Pants was gifted by Impatient Productions who invited me to watch the show on behalf of Pink Prince Theatre in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.