STARBURST readers will likely know comedian and actress Anna Akana for their work on films such as Kids vs Monsters and Ant-Man, as well as Jupiter’s Legacy and Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur. She’s also well-known online for her YouTube videos about mental health, and her new show, It Gets Darker, is mostly about that subject.

This is a show about suicide. Akana’s sister took her own life seventeen years ago. Anna, now 35, talks about how this altered the course of her own life and her personal struggles with her mental health. The remarkable thing is how compelling and life-affirming this show is. The sweetness of the show belies the dark subject matter. Anna talks about her family and their quirks in a way filled with love and a vicious sense of humour.

This is a charismatic and seemingly effortless stand-up. Akana is flirty, kind and deeply funny throughout. Openly bisexual and blunt about her apparently hilarious and disastrous love life, the storytelling is consistently entertaining throughout. The key to comedy is timing and pacing, and as the anecdotes get funnier, the tone gets darker and more serious.

We also learn about Anna’s stalkers and the absurdity of how that is managed in Los Angeles, a city that has more than its share of stalkers and celebrities. Again, this is a pitch-black topic handled in a bright and deeply funny way.

Laughter is a powerful tool for mental health and Akana’s empathy, honesty and prestigious comic talent cut through the platitudes and do the actual work of exploring the uncomfortable subject of death. It Gets Darker is a tight, intelligent, and surprising show that might not be for everyone, but it is worth seeking out. Incredibly clever and funny.

You can book Ed Fringe tickets here.