Katherine Ryan is one of my favourite comedians of all time. I tell you this from the outset so you’ll know what to expect in the following post. This may be a review, but in this case, it’s mostly going to be gushing. I have nothing to criticize.

I first became familiar with Ryan on a panel show (I forget which one) on which she was by far the funniest member. Her wit and dry delivery made her an instant hit with me. And while she’s still a regular on these types of shows, she was also the second British comedian to get a stand-up special on Netflix, after Jimmy Carr (although Canadian by birth, she counts herself as a British comic as that’s where she’s based and where her career really took off).

I’m probably biased because I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time, but honestly, In Trouble is just excellent. Not one joke fell flat. Ryan moves from topic to topic so seamlessly that you barely notice she’s doing it.

Ryan also doesn’t shy away from the tougher topics, from being labelled Public Enemy Number One in the Philippines thanks to an off-the-cuff joke she made on a panel show, to a joke about a Jewish man she dated which turned out to be a lot less offensive that it could have been. From being a single mother, to dating younger men, to giving a speech at her sister’s wedding, and of course taking pot shots at celebrities, nothing is off limits.

Some of you who have seen her clips on Youtube may be familiar with some of the material (spoiler alert: comedians don’t just say a joke once and discard it. Sorry to disappoint). However, her delivery in this special is a lot crisper and tighter, making her more well-known jokes feel fresh and new. Obviously, there is also a lot of new material to make it worth a watch even if you’re already a well-versed Katherine Ryan fan.

While I can understand that some of her jokes may make people slightly uncomfortable (there are some jokes that are not racial slurs in the slightest but could definitely be misconstrued), to me at least, Katherine Ryan didn’t stop being funny for a second. I’ve seen her special twice now and would definitely watch it a third time. Whether you’re familiar with her work or not, Katherine Ryan is definitely worth checking out. And In Trouble is a great place to start.