Written by: Dombo (@DomOJFryer)Where's Dom gone?
Soho Theatre, London
Was Dom fond?
***
There's nothing funny about being late. And this isn't just
advice I would pass onto Judith Lucy - my guest also kept me waiting for half
an hour too. But do try passing this on to the aforementioned Aussie comedian,
a woman who, to her credit, seems to be able to find the funny side of
anything.
As the audience waits, the sound system plays music and asks the
question "who's that lady?" which is a question Judith Lucy answers
at great length. As she promises, we learn all about her and the most intimate
details of her life are revealed. The
opening exchanges of this show (which is just over an hour long) were
incredibly promising; Judith Lucy starts off by getting to know her audience
and it becomes clear that she is a very clever, naturally funny woman. Her
rapport with the individuals watching her is a crowd pleaser – once she learned
my name she exploited it for all it was worth, much to the amusement of the
onlookers. The only problem is that Judith Lucy is much better when she is
improvising than her written material is; as the show went on it seemed to drag
a bit.
The full name of the show is Judith Lucy – Nothing Fancy. Nothing
Fancy, indeed. Lucy uses just one prop in her entire show, and even then it is
for a ten second gag. It is refreshing to see a comedian who doesn't have to
run madly around the stage or call upon an army of technical personnel to make
their audience laugh. This stripped back and simple show provides exactly this
for its duration, even if the duration is five minutes too long.
The style of comedy within the show comes mainly in the form of
self-deprecating stories on Judith Lucy's plight to “find herself”, whether
that be at home or abroad. It seems that this is a positive formula, especially
in this country, one that is known for our love of that particular humour. It
strikes me that although I didn't find the show hilarious, many people
on the night did. Now this could be said of anything, but I'm making a point
here, so bear with me. One key element of Judith Lucy's stories is that she
strives to remain relevant; and for me, the 22-year-old university
graduate, she isn't. For slightly older professionals, she is. And even if she
isn't relevant to me, she made me laugh and I liked her. She is an endearing
individual, and that could be the key to her success. I'll let you find
out about the state of her pubic hair for yourself, though.
Judith Lucy plays until 1 December 2012.
For more information: http://sohotheatre.com/whats-on/judith-lucy-nothing-fancy/
@SohoTheatre
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