Cal Wilson is All Ears

CAL Wilson is All Ears is named so because it is largely audience driven. The show is based around Cal drawing stories out of the audience. She has a pin board at the back of the stage, covered in cards with topics printed on them – sex, people who love their pets too much, moments of mortification – and asks the audience, “What do you want to talk about?”

For every topic Cal has a personal story or two. These generally involve her being humiliated. This really loosens the crowd up, so when she calls out a question to the audience like “Has anyone here been walked in on during sex?” she is always able to find someone with a story to banter with.

It is refreshing to see a show in this festival which is not heavily scripted. Wilson clearly has a lot of experience working a crowd and her comedy is very easy to relate to. Her act allows the crowd to be part of the show, rather than just a spectator. It’s this level of involvement which makes Wilson endearing and easy to watch.