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Michelle Wolf: the unstoppable rise of America's provocative political comic

Her caustic White House correspondents’ dinner speech will be no shock for fans of the former Daily Show contributor

When Michelle Wolf arrived at the Edinburgh festival in 2016 she was the latest in a long line of bubbling-under US standups to use the fringe to hone their craft and build an international audience. She returned home with a nomination for best newcomer, and a reputation firmly established for smart, sly, social commentary – laughing in the gaps between political principle and personal weakness. Suffice it to say that, in the last 48 hours, that reputation has extended its reach thanks to her caustic routines about senior figures in the Trump administration at the White House correspondents’ dinner.

I saw her perform twice at Edinburgh – in her own show So Brave, and then supporting Louis CK during his short run. What marked Wolf out, at a festival where more and more comics trade in storytelling or emotional intimacy, was the leanness and efficiency of her comedy. She was, in short, a pro – giving us just enough personal revelation and no more, alongside sharp and steely gags about modern feminism, abortion and dating. In light of this weekend’s hoo-ha, it’s interesting to note that – just as the storm clouds of a Trump presidency were gathering – her material on The Donald was strictly limited. “It’s hard to make a joke out of someone that’s a joke,” she told the Guardian in 2016. “After a while you’re like, ‘This is just sad.’”

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