You wouldn’t pick it by the way she confidently struts onto the stage, but Lauren Thiel is only in her second year at the Adelaide Fringe. Who Told Dad? is the sequel to her well-received 2022 show Don’t Tell Dad and explores Lauren’s life, loves, and discovery that she’s in fact bisexual. But, as the title suggests, what does her religious father think of all this? It seems like he may be taking it a little hard, because as Lauren mentions “Jeff just wants me to get to heaven!” And so we went on a hilarious journey with Lauren, as she recounted her early days of getting a fake ID, sneaking into clubs, drinking ridiculous cocktails, and dealing with her religious parents. Her father Jeff, Jesus and religion are the main impediments in her journey of self-discovery. Thiel is the type of comedian who spreads joy. Not one to punch down, she loves to make a joke at her own expense and is quick-witted when engaging with the crowd, even managing to save jokes (when they didn’t work) with funny one-liners and a carefree attitude on stage. What I really enjoyed seeing from Lauren this year is the vast improvement in her delivery and how much she’s grown as a comedian in only 12 months. I already mentioned how confident she appeared, but it was her commanding presence onstage that really grabbed the audience’s attention, and kept us interested throughout her performance. As for Who Told Dad?.. well you’ll just have to come along to the show to find out! FOUR STARS ****