Abby Govindan: Pushing 30 review – playful comic makes the case for marriage as a side quest

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghGovindan’s debut takes aim at patriarchal stereotypes with pranks, PowerPoint and easygoing storytelling In south Asian culture, marriage continues to be paramount, with women still largely bearing the brunt of this societal pressure. Tonight, the few south Asian women in the audience that US comedian Abby Govindan calls upon – myself included – verify this, one explaining how her parents have given up now that she is in her mid-30s. For Govindan, who is nearing 30, it’s a familiar conversation she has had with well-meaning relatives, and one that creates an internal paradox. While she loves her south Asian identity and her Indian heritage, it can be difficult to reconcile this with the patriarchal stereotypes and archaic values that tend to hold women back. In a confident fringe debut, Govindan explores the reductive nature of conversations around marriage and ageing, and the value that is placed on dating and relationships over simply living life to the full. She regales the audience with stories of her many wins in life, from that time she managed to convince the internet that she was the creator of Emily in Paris, to when she scammed the KK