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Roisin Conaty, Kerry Godliman, Ava Vidal
Bling, Blush & Bonk
Verdict: Engaging urban stand-up
London - Barcode - July 04
Roisin Conaty, Kerry Godliman, Ava Vidal deliver an hour of sophisticated, subtle (ok there's some filth) (ok, quite a lot), and distinctly metropolitan humour. They're big-city women, and it's at the essence of their comedy. It's an inclusive and welcoming hour, funny, and fun.
Tonight's their first preview and it's fair to take Ava Vidal out of alphabetical order and highlight her magnificent performance in handling the ultimate Soho heckler (a bit pervy too).
The gig's running very, very late (a lost microphone), the crowd's drunk and restive, Ava Vidal has the toughest slot at the end. A loser at the back starts talking, drunk, loud, continuously, his phone's going off, voice rising over Ava's set, he's shouting, he's aggressive. And it's a great set. Without unduly raising her voice, she beacons in on him.
It needs to be explained that Ava Vidal is ever a picture of elegance; tonight she shimmers in couture cocktail dress and shoes (though not a trace of bling; she's not that kind of gal).
She's also 6 foot tall and used to be a prison officer.
Within a few seconds, the heckler (and mate) are out on the street. It's merciful - the substantially drunk audience had turned on them (these prison officers know their crowd psychology) and might have torn them to pieces.
Modestly, Ava Vidal blames her breasts (rather more out than in this evening - and no complaints from the audience) for attracting the wrong type of punter while flyering the show. And with the slightest shake of her head, she's back into full flow.
Material tonight includes prison (the put-down line for 'Miss, do you take it up the arse?'), boarding school, getting arrested, kids - and the size of Leslie Ash's husband's cock. The writing's well-structured, the charm lying in Ava Vidal's friendly and relaxed delivery. The audience warms to her easily. It's a subtle set, engaging and intriguing.
Roisin Conaty delivers a fine set, packed with practical relationship advice ('After 7 vodkas, manipulation's your best friend') and seasoned, fabulously-observed insights into emotions and the complex bits of life - the ones that usually get fouled up. But after Roisin Conaty's brisk exposition, no longer.
Meet the Sympathy Hijackers aka the Problem Tycoons - those hateful mates who've always had it worse and preface every reply to personal tragedies with 'Well. Count yourself lucky.' Roisin Conaty scalpels under the skin of the human condition and finds that, while life may occasionally be a bed of roses, they are fertilised by shit.
Her language is gorgeous - stuffed with colourful and imaginative similes. Her perceptions of life's tricky parts are extremely subtle, and she reveals them with contagious excitement.
Roisin Conaty's beautiful face may have been constructed with comedy in mind. It's angelic - the better to contrast with what comes out of her mouth. Which is a lot - Roisin Conaty in full flow can deliver an impressive stream of verbal. It's delightful. And it's robust.
Kerry Godliman drives her set with a relaxed confidence, playing around with language and having fun with it - which she's ready to share.
Fun? What does it mean? What's fun about fun cameras, chocolate bars? Why's a 4-door car with a hatchback called a 5-door? Everyday bits of life's language worry and intrigue Kerry Godliman, and she's out to get them.
Kerry Godliman comes with a strong sense of fun - her sharp eye for the ridiculous and incongruous lights up a sharp and witty set. The alchemy of make-up, alarm clocks and wrong timing, the other meanings of euphemism and preview, fashions in pubic hair are only the start of her investigations.
She's a distinctly London comedian - from her pretty tumbling, light-brown hair and lovely face to her colour-co-ordinated light-suede boots and tucked-up jeans. Her act shares the same chic urban style. It's adroit, and it's funny.
Best, Kerry Godliman explains exactly what everone's needed to know, since Paris got it so tragically wrong and started the Trojan Wars. The correct answer to the question: 'How Do I Look?'
Tonight's audience includes dashing matinee idol stand-up and director John Gordillo, debonaire corporate impressario Robert Danavell, ebullient Comedy Camp commandant Simon Happily, Sarah Bennetto's parents over from Australia, and stand-up James Dowdeswell.
Cast Credits (alpha order): Roisin Conaty, Kerry Godliman, Ava Vidal. Support tonight only - Liam Malone M/C; (alpha order): Sarah Bennetto, Steve Hall, Isy Suttie
Company Credits: Writers - Roisin Conaty, Kerry Godliman, Ava Vidal. Technical manager - venue staff.
END
John Park
reviewed 7 July 04 / Barcode
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008
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