Ringing in their second birthday with a bang, the Pussy Jam Comedy Collective presented a strong rebuttal to the idea that only men are doing comedy in Estonia. Taking place at HUNGR, the two-hour show featured a line-up of eleven comedians showcasing the range of humor available on the local scene.
The evening’s host was Sille-Kadri Simer, “the comedy Barbie”, who punctuated her quips and crowd work with the deft flicks of a fan. First up was a newcomer to the Tallinn scene, Christy Inhulsen, a very demure lady from the American South whose soft voice and gentle drawl contrasted with the very not modest nature of her comedy. From bad sex moves to the horrors of an aging body, Inhulsen made us laugh so hard our special places got a workout.
Local Liisel Nelis was next, delivering one-liners, sound effects, sob stories, and groan-worthy puns with an air of slacker-cool self-enjoyment. Following her was Maria Sepp, the official (non-preview) Gong Show’s audience favorite, reflecting on the bad decisions we make when ovulating, songs we liked as kids, and the benefits of older men.
Then came AI-enabled Anastasia Kunakova, riffing on the hazards of app-based taxi drivers, negative thinking, and what meeting the family might look like in the future. Isi Salcedo, newly active in the Tallinn scene, followed with reflections on her Catholic school upbringing, the value of an undergraduate degree in philosophy, and the benefits of moving far enough away from home so that no one can judge your lifestyle.
Closing out the first half was Ann Vaida, with observations on everything from Sober September to the real MLM in queer Estonian life, to yoga, escape rooms, and how to handle a divorce. Simer then guided us into intermission for a delicious Pussy Jam birthday cake.
Kicking off the second half was visiting local Marian Võsumets, bringing energetic, topical political humor and observations on current events, as well as riffs on sex dungeons, dating, and effective sprays — a true expression of Estonian propaganda. Vosumets was followed by Tatiana Akopova, whose deadpan style offered an excellent balance as she explored the benefits and pitfalls of self-improvement.
Simer’s well-handled hosting introduced us to the real meaning of Pussy Jam, then guided us into the final pair of the night, led by Jana Levitina, who discussed her brat summer and the effectiveness of rhyme in the Russian language. The final comedian was Sandra Tiitson, with observations on dating, robots, and the horror stories people don’t share until after the point at which you can change your mind.
Tallinn Fringe ends this week, but Pussy Jam and its affiliated comedians are active on the Tallinn scene year-round.
Author: Laurie
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