Kitty Flanagan Held Up a Mirror... And We Saw Ourselves

Kitty Flanagan Review

A review of Glad Game at Adelaide Festival Theatre — 16 July 2026

It didn't take long to realise this wasn't just a show about Kitty. It was a show about all of us.

Her observations were so relatable that almost every routine had people thinking, "I know someone exactly like that."

I found myself watching the audience almost as much as I was watching Kitty. The sideways glances between couples said it all. More than once I looked across at my partner and thought, "Yep... that's you." Then the next joke would have me thinking, "Hang on... that's me."

Kitty shared the story of a recent show that had to be stopped three times after audience members suffered separate medical episodes. It became a hilarious warning to the Adelaide audience that, whatever happened that night, they'd better remain upright.

Kitty has a knack for taking something completely ordinary and ending up somewhere completely unexpected. And somehow, it all makes perfect sense.

It all started with Kitty describing a yoga instructor. You know the type. Calm, soothing voice. Every sentence delivered like it might just change your life.

Then the routine took a sharp left turn. An exposed male body part somehow led to Kitty inventing a whole new type of man-bra. It was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. But by then, we were happy to follow Kitty wherever she wanted to take us.

And let's face it... men need all the support they can get.

Kitty talked about a woman in the street who venomously told her she wasn't funny. Most people would've gone home and sulked. Kitty's response? Follow her home like a stalker.

The genius wasn't where the story ended up... it was how Kitty somehow convinced the audience that her actions were perfectly reasonable. Then she justified the whole thing with three simple words.

"She started it."

Next, Kitty turned her attention to the modern beauty standards so many young women now seem to be chasing.

Kitty contorted her face as she described oversized pouty lips, eyelashes so big they'd almost swallowed the eyebrows, and every exaggerated expression added another layer until she arrived at a conclusion that had the audience in stitches.

It was funny because there was just enough truth in it to make people laugh... and just enough to make them think.

Walking out, I realised I'd laughed at the yoga world, beauty trends, bruised egos and men's anatomy. But what stayed with me wasn't one particular joke. It was the way Kitty kept weaving them back into the show, rewarding the audience for paying attention.

Great observational comedians don't just hold up a mirror...

They know exactly when to hold it up again.

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