Photo taken from @machcomedyfest on Instagram
Written by Hope White-Heath and translated by Iwan Thomas
Rosie Jones was too funny. She was criminally funny. Her jokes were the kind where you laugh so hard you might die, and then you have to look round to make sure you aren’t the only evil person there. Where you would then be surprised to see others laughing too.
When Jones came out on stage there was a massive round of applause. She was quick to make even this inevitability funny, saying how her favourite part of any show is when she gets cheered in… and then keeps getting cheered in… and keeps getting cheered in… and keeps getting cheered in… and then gets to the microphone.
She faced her audience head on and referenced her cerebral palsy straight away. Her direct approach was natural, and encouraged an atmosphere where we could laugh at each other rather than with each other.
I think everyone’s favourite part of the show was when she started discussing her ‘perfect vulva’ she told us how ‘everyone had hobbies in lockdown’ and that hers was adult websites. She carried on. Making eye contact with squirming members of the audience and saying, ‘there isn’t a vagina I haven’t had my creepy little eyes on’. It was hysterical (well at least, I thought so). She addressed the people who didn’t think so directly as is her style, retorting, ‘I know there are some of you who feel like you can’t laugh at this, thinking every vulva is perfect in their own individual way… but we both know… that’s not the case’. So funny.
There were lots of times where Jones would set up a joke and I wasn’t certain where it would go (especially when she said she wanted Sir David Attenborough to die) but I was always certain in her and I knew she would take me somewhere funny (She wanted him to die so she could take his national treasure status).
Even though there was a light hearted air to the gig, Jones managed to cover some serious ground. She discussed her own ableism about a man who also had cerebral palsy when she saw him sexting on the bus. She spoke about how people will comment ‘she doesn’t look gay’ to which she responds that she will start wearing a strap-on to the co-op to make them feel at ease. At the time I was just laughing but looking back, that’s some serious stuff.
I would recommend seeing Rosie Jones if you want to have a stitch from laughing too hard. I saw her at the Machynlleth comedy festival and I would also recommend going there next year. It’s a great place to see pros like Rosie Jones and comedians who are just starting out doing what they do best.
Cymraeg
Cyfieithiad gan Iwan Thomas
Roedd Rosie Jones yn rhy ddoniol. Roedd hi'n droseddol o ddoniol. Ei jôcs oedd y math lle dych chi'n chwerthin mor galed efallai y byddwch chi'n marw, ac yna mae'n rhaid i chi edrych o gwmpas i wneud yn siŵr nad chi yw'r unig berson drwg yno. Lle byddech chi wedyn yn synnu gweld eraill yn chwerthin hefyd.
Pan ddaeth Jones allan ar y llwyfan roedd yna rownd fawr o gymeradwyaeth. Roedd hi’n gyflym i wneud hyd yn oed hyn yn anochel yn ddoniol, gan ddweud mai ei hoff ran o unrhyw sioe yw pan fydd hi’n cael ei hannog… ac yna’n cael ei hannog… a’i hannog… a’i hannog… ac yna’n cyrraedd y meicroffon.
Wynebodd ei chynulleidfa yn uniongyrchol a mynd ati’n syth i sôn am ei pharlys yr ymennydd. Roedd ei hagwedd uniongyrchol yn naturiol, ac yn annog awyrgylch lle gallem chwerthin am bennau ein gilydd yn hytrach na gyda'n gilydd.
Dwi'n meddwl mai hoff ran pawb o'r sioe oedd pan ddechreuodd hi drafod ei 'fwlfa perffaith' fe ddywedodd hi wrthon ni sut 'roedd gan bawb hobïau yn ystod Cofid' a gwefannau oedolion oedd un hi. Parhaodd i edrych i fyw llygad aelodau o’r gynulleidfa a oedd yn gwingo gan ddweud, ‘does dim gwain fy mod i heb gael fy llygaid bach iasol arni’. Roedd yn pawb yn ffrwydro chwerthin (wel o leiaf, roeddwn i'n meddwl). Anerchodd y bobl nad oedd yn meddwl mor uniongyrchol â’i steil, gan ateb, ‘Dwi’n gwybod bod rhai ohonoch sy’n teimlo na allwch chwerthin am hyn, gan feddwl bod pob fwlfa yn berffaith yn eu ffordd unigol eu hunain… ond y ddau ohonom gwybod... nid felly y mae'. Mor ddoniol.
Roedd yna lawer o weithiau y byddai Jones yn sefydlu jôc a doeddwn i ddim yn siŵr i ble y byddai'n mynd (yn enwedig pan ddywedodd ei bod eisiau i Syr David Attenborough farw) ond roeddwn bob amser yn siŵr ohono ac roeddwn yn gwybod y byddai'n mynd â mi i rywle doniol. (Roedd hi eisiau iddo farw er mwyn iddi gymryd ei statws trysor cenedlaethol).
Er bod naws ysgafn i'r gig, llwyddodd Jones i godi pethau difrifol. Trafododd ei gallu ei hun am ddyn a oedd hefyd â pharlys yr ymennydd pan welodd e yn secstio ar y bws. Soniodd am sut y bydd pobl yn dweud 'dyw hi ddim yn edrych yn hoyw' ac ymatebodd y bydd hi'n dechrau gwisgo strap-on i'r co-op i wneud iddyn nhw deimlo'n iawn. Ar y pryd roeddwn i'n chwerthin yn unig ond wrth edrych yn ôl, roedd hynny'n stwff difrifol.
Byddwn yn argymell gweld Rosie Jones os ydych chi eisiau magu pigyn gwynt wrth chwerthin yn rhy galed. Gwelais i hi yng Ngŵyl Gomedi Machynlleth a byddwn hefyd yn argymell mynd yno y flwyddyn nesaf. Mae'n lle gwych i weld pros fel Rosie Jones a digrifwyr newydd ddechrau gwneud yr hyn maen nhw'n ei wneud orau.