I ventured out to Ratas & Kohv more than an hour early to see Sandra Tiitson’s Average Cat Lady on 26 August. I had never been, so it was a vibe check before the sound check, if you will.
Located on the ground floor of an awkwardly road-bound but recognizable wedge of a building opposite the Hippodroom, Ratas & Kohv is an archetypal coffee shop, taking me from an American university town in the 90s American university towns to the present, where bike sales and a workshop co-exist and repurposed-tire-and-wooden-beam light fixtures glow over the round tables scattered about the showroom/cafe floor. As the name implies, bikes are put first — but the elevated platform on which several bikes are showcased converts into a stage, with speakers and microphones taking over as the daytime shop turns into a nighttime venue.
The vibe was delightful—enhanced by the quintessential coffeeshop sounds of grinding coffee, easy-listening jazz, and murmured conversations —and worth traversing numerous ruptured sidewalks and multi-lane intersections to get there. I only wish I had stopped by sooner.
Ann Vaida, an up-and-coming local comic opened the show with wry reflections on living life and getting wifed in Estonia. Vaida’s insights into getting married, getting “real” married, and starting a family walks the line of being specific to personal experience and being relatable to larger audiences. She also shares the shape of what a queer Estonian life can, and does, look like—though it almost certainly tastes of mushroom.
If Vaida is your smug married friend, Sandra Tiitson is your messy friend who’s starting to get her life together, with mixed success. Tiitson uses the space and mic effectively, switching up delivery and punchlines between observations, wordplay, sound effects, and crowd work. With sharp points and layered impressions, Tiitson embraces aging and leaving behind one’s wilder youth, or at least making compromises to account for one’s wild adulthood.
Not only does Tiitson have a solid eye on the personal struggles of life’s transitions, but she also understands the very public eye that is on us as we change. Average Cat Lady finds the humor in both, with the energy and style of a great night out with a good friend. Tiitson is a wonderful match for the venue itself, unapologetically doing her thing and inviting us along for the ride.
Average Cat Lady has a third and final show at Ratas & Kohv on Monday, 2 September. Tiitson can also be seen performing with Pussy Jam and Alien Comedy showcases throughout the festival. Vaida is hosting Late Night Cabaret with Kaisa Ling in English on 6 September and The Gong Show in Estonian on 10 September. The Tallinn Fringe Festival continues until mid-September.
Author: Laurie
Subscribe to our email newsletter to get the latest posts delivered right to your email.