ITV Tyne Tees and Borders favourite weatherman’s big sister is heading up to Edinburgh Fringe

Sian Hutchinson has a rich pedigree of artistic talent in her family and it was no surprise that she has such a creative flair, along with little brother Ross Hutchinson (ITV Tyne Tees and Border’s weatherman), thanks surely to mum Lesley Kenny (artist, author, sculpturist and original writer and creator of the legendary annual Surbiton community pantomime) and dad Robin Hutchinson MBE – trustee/director of The Rose Theatre Kingston and chair of charity Creative Youth, organisers of the FUSE festival (formerly IYAF).

What is surprising is that Sian – who has been likened by reviewers to great character actors such as Kathy Burke, Julie Walters and Catherine Tate - isn’t yet herself a household name. Perhaps, at the grand old age of 42, this year will change all that!

'Sian Hutchinson: Tick My Box’ won the main award for ‘Best Event’ at last year’s Brighton Fringe Awards, as voted by the audience, which is no surprise following two sell-out shows with standing ovations, a feat repeated at Camden Fringe and Fuse Festival last August. This has spurred the A-level drama teacher on to dust off her Edinburgh guidebook and with help from Lamb Comedy Productions, is heading north to present this show once more…

Sian and Ross together in a candid shot at the family home

In what is potentially a record-breaking hiatus of 14 years, Sian Hutchinson – the writer and performer - originally took Tick My Box as a work-in-progress show to the PBH Free Fringe for a short run back in 2010.Back in the summer of 2010, her partner, Nicky, had just given birth two weeks prior to Sian heading up to Edinburgh for the fortnight. Sian stayed in a windowless “bedroom” in a flat-share with sketch duo 'Shirley & Shirley'. She was quite busy with her new family when she got back to Brighton.

Fast forward 14 years...

Sian has had three house moves (the first was changing cities from London to Brighton), she's got married, established a professional career as a teacher, has performed as part of an award-winning sketch duo 'Barry & Sian', and the "baby" now attends secondary school – following rewrites, new direction, and an award, Sian feels the show is now fully formed and ready to take back to the Edinburgh Fringe!

Tick My Box can be found in the Shanghai Room at the Le Monde Hotel in George Street, Edinburgh at 1pm each day. Audiences can expect to squirm in their seats, with laughter created by schadenfreude, inappropriateness, the ridiculous yet recognisable situations and genius word play from a comedian whose previous work has been described as “a master class in character comedy” and as having “an Olivia Colman quality”.

To imagine what the show might be like, think “what if Diane Morgan’s ‘Mandy’ went on ‘First Dates’” and you’d be part way there.

The uniqueness of this one-woman comedy play is that we see our character Sooz interact with her invisible dates, leaving the audiences’ imaginations to fill in the blanks.

Tick My Box is fast paced, observational character comedy at its best. There’s even a small amount of pathos - it's more situation comedy than punchline focused. Sian said: “I hate ‘knock-knock’ jokes but love a well-placed slam!”

‘Sian Hutchinson: Tick My Box’ is produced by Lamb Comedy Productions and will be performed at 1pm from 2nd August – 25th August (not 13th) at Shanghai @ Le Monde (Venue 47) 16 George St, EH2 2PF

Standard tickets £10 / £9 conc - buy tickets online now