Wisecracking, straight-talking firecracker Nina Gilligan is gallivanting over to The Stand with a hilarious new comedy show, enticingly entitled ‘Lemoncake’. If the promise of baked goods doesn’t tempt you, then surely this fast-talking funny woman will.
Salford lass Gilligan, lovingly described as a bolshier Mrs Merton, emerged onto the UK comedy circuit in 2011, charming audiences with her northern authenticity and unpredictable one-liners, while picking up various comedy awards and nominations along the way. Unlike the show’s confection-laden namesake, there’s no sugar-coating here; her razor-sharp wit and outrageous storytelling are both refreshing and inspiring.
Gilligan’s previous comedy project, ‘Goldfish’, debuted at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024 and went down so well it was later adapted into a stand-up special for BBC Radio 4. Gilligan also lends her voice and imagination to Jo, an eccentric and overbearing taxi passenger, in the improv-heavy and delightfully deadpan BBC Radio 4 sitcom ‘Where To, Mate?’.
So, what’s this new offering all about? It centres on an emotional milestone in many mothers’ lives: watching their offspring fly the nest and being left to navigate the daunting expanse of an empty nest. Gilligan recounts finding this new lease of freedom with hilarity, warmth and anecdotes involving recreational substances, the occult, getting flirty with priests and, of course, a lemon cake.
Tickets, priced at £17.00 in advance, are available at thestand.co.uk.
