Marjolein Robertson, Shetland-born standup and storyteller, brings her award-nominated show ‘O’ on tour in 2025 following her complete sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe. She will be in Brighton Wednesday, 12 February 2025 at the Komedia Studio
‘O’ is the second installment in Marjolein’s standup trilogy, which follows the journey her previous show ‘Marj’ embarked on, looking at aspects of life with the beats of a Shetland folktale. Where ‘Marj’ explored the mind through the effects of an abusive relationship; ‘O’ explores the health of the body by sharing Marjolein’s story of her own issue with menstrual health.
The show garnered a reputation at the Edinburgh Fringe for being not for the faint-hearted as nine individuals fainted as well as there being at least 18 walk outs during the shows’ gorier discussions. But this show has the power to save lives. Chronologically weaving through Marjolein’s life, punctuated by the beats of Shetland’s oldest myth: the story of the seasons. ‘O’ shares a story of near death, from complications with her period when Marjolein was only 16, and the subsequent 14 years of asking for help, a diagnosis, anything at all, before finding the ‘key’ to the NHS in terms of menstrual health. This ‘key’ finally leads Marjolein to her diagnosis of adenoymyosis. But now what?
Marjolein’s struggles with her health since she was 16 led her to write a humorous and hard-hitting hour of standup, to share the message but also ultimately to entertain.
Not only was ‘O’ nominated for Next Up’s Biggest Award in Comedy, it was also officially listed as one of the top reviewed shows of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe during its sold-out extended run.
Like ‘Marj’, ‘O’ has also proven to be of huge help and solace to people. At the 2023 Fringe and subsequent tour of ‘Marj’ in 2024, Marjolein found herself inundated with messages from punters who related to the show, either themselves or people in their lives. They found comfort and help within the message. Writing ‘O’, Marjolein sought again to make a comedy show that has a message which can benefit its’ audience.
During the 2024 Fringe, messages flooded in from those who had experienced similar health complications and women who have felt unheard when seeking medical help.
Marjolein said: ‘This is my favourite hour to-date to perform. It has some of my favourite jokes, but also, I am so glad to finally share this story in a way which can have people leaving empowered about their own bodies. Unless they faint. Cause that keeps happening too. My bad. Or should I say, my uteruses’ bad.’
Marjolein was a finalist in Channel 4’s Sean Lock Comedy Awards 2024 as well as in the BBC New Comedy Awards 2022. She was awarded Scots Speaker of the Year in 2022, and ranked no.3 in The List’s Hot 100 in 2023. She is a regular panelist on BBC’s Breaking The News, and she has performed standup on UKTV’s Rosie Jones’ Disability Comedy Extravaganza and Comedy Central Live. Marjolein has appeared on countless chart-topping comedy podcasts such as Harry Hill’s Are We There Yet?, Richard Herring’s RHLSTP, Some Laugh and Scroobius Pip’s Distractions Pieces Podcast.
PRESS:
‘A fine mix of surreal storytelling whimsy, winsome silliness and scatological filth’ ★★★★★ Three Weeks
‘The light and shade that she blended and captivated the audience with was spellbinding, there were times when the club roared with laughter, other occasions you could have heard a pin drop’ – ★★★★★ One4Review
