2012February - The Stand "One of the reasons I was especially looking forward to this gig was the fact that Jessica Fostekew, a sparkling talent I first saw doing her one woman show Luxury Tramp during Fringe 2011, was on the bill. I really enjoyed her show then and certainly was not disappointed with her set on this occasion. Bits of the 2011 show were there, but then quality material deserves to be heard by everyone, but there was a whole raft of different stuff, equally funny as well. Mix this together with her obvious acting abilities and the accents she can produce and her undoubted personality and presence made her stage-time just evaporate. I understand she will be returning to Edinburgh for Fringe 2012 so will book my ticket now." - One4Review JESSICA FOSTEKEW: LUXURY TRAMP 2011The Independent - Top Ten NewcomersAmused Moose Laughter Awards – FINAL TENJoke of the Day – Dave TVTop 20 Jokes of the Edinburgh Festival – Zoo Magazine (I know)
This show got a batch of four star reviews and they all read beautifully, here are some snippets: "This solid Fringe debut will be another boon to her career, she pulls her audience in quickly, putting them at ease that they are in safe hands. Fostekew's most admirable quality is her conversational style and easy charm when it comes to talking about her own life, she shows that she's ready to mine her own life in an authentic way for material” - The Independent “For an Edinburgh debut, this is the sort of rock-solid hour of unfussy stand-up you might expect from a much more experienced performer… the hour is robust and the laughs frequent. Although the show is all about her, it’s really all about the jokes, and she doesn’t embark on a path unless there’s a funny at the end of it, and ideally a few smaller ones along the way too. She also has a winning delivery, adept at misdirection, and speaks with the confident cadence that instinctively matches the rhythm of a joke.” - Steve Bennett, Chortle "Expect her career to accelerate into the fast lane" - Metro “Fostekew is a hugely engaging presence and there's something reassuringly honest about her” - Fest "I would recommend not waiting long to see her”" - Edinburgh Festivals "Sharp wit and energetic anecdotes" - The List “From the moment she greets us with hand-crafted fans, to her farewell handshake and "thank you" as we reluctantly troop out the door, Jessica Fostekew is the soul of amiability. Despite the narrowness of her comedy seam, Fostekew mines it expertly and with tremendous charm. Her ease of delivery belies the fact that this is her first solo show, while her skill at involving the audience without shaming them is admirable. Give-and-take is an old comedy trope, but this hour felt more like a conversation than a show, and I mean that as a compliment. Fostekew's wry observations about everyday absurdities, along with her character sketches - notably her posh mum and rather loucher dad - are generally spot on. Her material gets an extra boost by her superior acting and a gift for mimicry. Unforgettable moments include a suggestion for what the town name Penge should mean, and top tips on how to know if you've pulled a chameleon.”" - The Scotsman "Original, elegant and funny. Delightfully sharp metaphors" - Fringe Report "This is definetely a show to see" - Scotsgay "Truely amazing" - Such Small Portions "Hers is a charming stage presence and she has an ease of delivery that belies her newcomer status… she has a neat way with words that suggests Forteskew [sic] is one to watch.” - Arts Desk "One of the hang-ups she mentions a number of times is her desire to please everybody. She believes this has been to her detriment in the past, but in this enjoyable hour that's exactly what she does.” - LondonIsFunny.Com "“Jessica Fostekew is not someone I had come across before seeing her this year. The sauna that is her space in Gilded Balloon’s Wee Room is generally full to capacity so that is telling you she is beginning to make an impact on the world of comedy always funny and draws laughter from everyone throughout her entertaining set. I suspect she is an actor as well as a really good comic, as the voices she can conjurer up are so good. All in all Jess is a comedian I will look forward to seeing again hopefully in the near future.” - One4Review _____ OLDER QUOTES -“Intensely Funny….Fireball of Fun” - Timeout “Some take the pressure better than others, one being Jessica Fostekew, who outside of stand-up has received acclaim for her acting roles. It shows – her gags crackle with energy and genuine commitment to conveying emotions” - Spoonfed “Jessica Fostekew is a highly charged motormouth of a comedian, working though her brilliant and brutal material at such a pace that you think she'll run out long before the time is up. Thankfully, she doesn't, and we're treated to twenty odd minutes of raucous stand-up.” - Three Weeks "“Fostekew leaps into focus first, zealously tripping passions and gripes off her tongue with the disorganised energy of a schoolchild. Unstructured maybe, but [she] manages her set with professional ease, adroitly working audience participation to aid a witty sequence of anecdotes.” - The Skinny |
