If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if your nan discovered TikTok and decided to audition for Love Island, Pat Goldsack might be your fever dream come true.
Created from the mind of award-winning Kiwi actress, Katie Boyle, tonight the octogenarian granny is here to dish out her decades of expertise in the game of flirting and relationships.
Greeting her audience as they trickle into the cosy side room of the Kings Arms, Pat’s repartee instantly harks back to the warm and genteel comedy of Dame Edna Everage and Mrs Merton – where even the most stinging observations somehow feel like a warm hug.
As we ramble through the highly interactive show, peppered with parodies of modern hits (accompanied on the pub’s piano by Nino Raphael) and regular bursts of ‘Bingo was his Name-O’, it feels less like stand-up comedy and more like a tipsily graphic TED talk from a nan who’s abandoned her nightly sherry in favour of a bottle of Jägermeister – no filter, no shame, and no escape.
But it’s done with buckets of warmth and Boyle is expert in finding the right level of how and where to involve her audience, never truly embarrassing anyone, and keeping all on Pat’s side.
The charming banter and interaction do mean that when Pat has a quieter moment of reflection on how isolating old age can become, as friends and loved ones pass on, it feels incongruous to the previous fun and frivolity, tipping a wee bit of cold water on the proceedings.
Nevertheless, the majority of the 45min show is packed with laugh-out-loud moments, excellent, quick-witted quips and the likelihood that you may never dare ask your gran about her past again.
For more Manchester Fringe performances, visit What’s on – Greater Manchester Fringe
Reviewer: Lou Steggals
Reviewed: 12th July 2025
North West End UK Rating: