Grace Colsey gives us an insight into the brain of a human: a funny, whip-smart, razor-sharp, talented, creative, spicy, sad, courageous human.

Creating a safe space for themself and us, we are welcomed into Smiling Through The Human with an assurance we can be whoever we are and respond however we need to (tics, stimming, moving is all okay).

Then the show begins, and Grace entertains a full house with a wonderfully erratic storytelling style with cleverly-written, original songs and a singing voice I could listen to all day.

Grace is living with ADHD and Autism, and is storming the proverbial barricades of education, societal expectations, connection and so much more.

Honest, candid, moving, confronting, Smiling Through the Human is a call to arms for those of us who are neurodivergent living in a world that wasn’t made for us, and telling us it’s hard to be human, but to keep on humaning.

There is no toxic positivity; this is a warts and all view of how Grace is walking through life and, while the songs are catchy and fun, and the delivery is endearing, the message is what’s important: we can’t survive in a world that is forcing square pegs into round holes and the pegs are speaking up about it.

Smiling Through The Human is great theatre. It’s well written, performed with strength and true ability, and it definitely has legs.

With a longer season, tech issues could be ironed out and the show could find a groove and become a slick production, but for CabFringe, this was a one-show-only event and it was great cabaret.

I was diagnosed as neurodivergent at 45-years-old after a lifetime of struggling through this world, and Grace Colsey and their show made me feel seen. And I felt gratitude that young people are being diagnosed sooner so they can navigate the earth far better than I did.

I laughed, I cheered, I cried.

Grace Colsey is a star on the rise, so follow them on all the necessary socials and watch that space.

4 stars