Autism Mama Review: A Unique Show at the Edinburgh Fringe

At a festival featuring 3,600 shows, some are bound to feel repetitive. Yet, Josephine Lacey’s performance stands out distinctly. Her show, Autism Mama, focuses on Lacey’s journey of parenting a son with autism and sensory processing disorder. From the description, it might seem to fit into the niche of “comedy shows about neurodiversity and personal challenges.” However, Lacey’s execution makes it truly unique—think of it as not just a handling but a masterful handling. The 56-year-old’s debut hour is rude, precise, wickedly humorous, and most importantly, glowing with maternal love.

Lacey is no sentimentalist. She is a straightforward Londoner with a no-nonsense attitude. Her biggest set-piece is delivered with gleeful schadenfreude at the death of her son’s biological father. Despite this, the core of her performance remains love, not loathing. Lacey shares her dual role as both “mum and dad” to her son Callum, who faces dysregulation and the challenges of puberty. This sometimes leads to amusingly awkward moments, such as Callum loudly admiring a shopper’s breasts in a supermarket. Beyond these comedic instances, Callum faces pain and uncertainty as his body and reactions change.

Enter Autism Mama, courageously equipped with a long, thin balloon and a tube of lube, ready to venture where few mothers have gone before. Lacey doesn’t shy away from demonstrating her efforts in full detail. One of the standout segments is a sex-education class tailored for those with special educational needs. While this part leans more towards educational content than comedy, Lacey keeps a fine balance between humor and fascination. Her authoritative delivery suggests she could make an excellent educator.

A particularly touching moment occurs when Lacey’s balloon demonstration gives her a brief but profound glimpse into the world as her son experiences it. Although rare, such insights are invaluable to her. Has parental love ever been so vividly illustrated in such an unexpected way? Lacey’s show is a delightful, crystal clear, and unapologetically indecent exploration of a mother’s extraordinary efforts.