What Doesn’t Kill You is an award-winning show from reformed people pleaser, Robyn Reynolds (UK).
It’s a strange hybrid of genres, mixing one-woman show with stand-up comedy special, and there’s even a few songs thrown in. The high-octane musical moments serve as a great tension reliever, and each song is written in a different style.
Reynolds artfully weaves between generational trauma and chronic illness, in a rave-reviewed show that saw her selling out her Edinburgh Fringe debut last year.
“Light-hearted” topics covered in the show range from Crohn’s disease, to abusive family members… but as several critics have mentioned, the show is tonally upbeat.
Almost following a linear narrative (no spoilers) we’re thrown in head-first with Reynolds as a teen outcast, being outrageously overshadowed by her mother at her own 18th birthday party. Don’t worry, even with this knowledge, you’ll be very surprised.
We fast-forward through University to graduation, and Reynolds’s subsequent move to Sydney, Australia.
Down under, Robyn’s story begins in earnest.
Battling a mystery illness and general apathy from medical professionals, Robyn needs to learn how to advocate for herself, and fast. A journey of resilience that will have empathetic touch points for anyone who has gone through something difficult, and managed to survive.
Reynolds does not subscribe to the belief: What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. Rather, what doesn’t kill you, makes you funny.
If you’re looking for a stand-up comedy show that feels like an oversharing, tipsy chat with a best mate, look no further.
WINNER - Best New Comedy Work at Melbourne Fringe 2024
NOMINEE - Best Newcomer at Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025
The show runs from 12 - 16 May at Q Theatre Cellar
https://www.comedyfestival.co.nz/find-a-show/robyn-reynolds-what-doesnt-kill-you/
