REVIEW: Tanyalee Davis - The Frog And Bucket, Manchester.

Tanyalee Davis is a Canadian born comedienne. At just 3’6” tall this tiny lady has a huge presence and an impressive portfolio of performances including; The John Bishop Show, Live At The Apollo and The Last Leg as well as being a well established name across the pond. Her nickname is the Ferrari;“ Low to the ground but full on power” and that she had in abundance.

On a rainy, Sunday evening we attended a fairly full house of Davis fans at The Frog And Bucket Comedy Club. Her self-deprecating act of wry observations of herself, disability and people’s attitudes leaves you laughing deep in your belly even though you’re questioning ‘should I really be laughing? Is that appropriate?’

The show was in 3 acts with a support at the end of acts 1 and 2. More of this shortly. My favourite one-liner was when she proclaimed she was bi-racial; white girl at the front and black girl at the back as she turned around to wiggle her ample behind. Tanyalee’s act is full of anecdotal memoires told tongue-in-cheek of her life as a dwarf. Her parents divorced at a young age and she was forced to tell her younger, ordinary height sister that it was all her fault as they were so disappointed that her sister wasn’t a dwarf.

One of her funniest stories was of her scuba diving on a shipwreck where the tanks were so heavy that she had to have an assisted dive but neglected to mention it was her ‘time of the month’ and didn’t want to miss out so was then horrified when all the fish started to surround her. Perhaps a little course for some but everyone in the appreciative audience laughed heartily and long at her bawdy, frank and open diatribes of her life and experiences including her stint in Vegas at a swingers club and her times at the SPA (Small People of America Convention) where they only book 2 rooms for 16 dwarfs, ‘sleeping like sausages edge to edge in the bed’ or ‘ in the bath in a pillowcase’ or the funniest, ‘in the drawers!’  A very funny lady, natural, responsive and working the audience with her unique style of conversational engagement.

She was ably supported by new comedian Tony Wright who told us of being mugged late at night in Salford but he had no money in his account so the mugger let him go. He was so shaken that at his gig later that night the compere explained to the audience and they had a whip round. He was very happy that he must have been the only victim of a mugging that ended up with a profit.  The other supporting comedy was ‘The Fat Lesbian Redneck from Carolina’. I apologise as I didn’t catch her name but she referred to herself as this throughout. Her tales of being safe from serial killers due to her weight had us in stitches.

Tanyalee has recently been in the national press after a showdown on National Rail for not allowing her on a train with her mobility scooter, filmed by her partner and went viral. She is now an ambassador for change and discrimination against disability on public transport.

We thoroughly enjoyed Tanyalee’s act and had a thoroughly enjoyable, Sunday evening out, and The Frog and Bucket is definitely an excellent venue

Reviewer - Kathryn Gorton

on - 23/9/18