Dawn French Live: 30 Million Minutes

Dawn French has spent decades in the public eye as half of a famous comedy double act or in character on television, but she had never done a solo show until she crossed the 30-million-minute mark of her life. Rather than delivering a conventional club set of rapid-fire jokes, she presents a theatrical memoir that uses her family, her body, and her personal tragedies as material. She stands alone on a stage backed by giant projection screens showing home videos and family photos, talking about what it actually takes to be a functioning human.

Filmed during its West End run at the Vaudeville Theatre in London, the production represents a distinct turn for French’s career. Directed by Michael Grandage, the performance is heavily structured and autobiographical. She addresses major moments of her life with a blunt, dry perspective, including her struggles with IVF, the racist abuse she and former husband Lenny Henry endured, and the suicide of her father when she was nineteen. Notable segments include a self-deprecating examination of her own anatomy and her succinct summary of her divorce: “Stalemate. We’re stale, mate.” The show was warmly received by critics who appreciated her willingness to trade frantic sketch energy for a quiet, poignant intimacy.