Fringe Comedy
Lucie Pohl
Gilded Balloon
Four stars
Diary of a Dating Addict
Pleasance Dome
Three stars
Natasha Noman
Gilded Balloon
Two stars
Gayle Anderson
Lucie Pohl is back at the Gilded Balloon for the second year with a comedy show that's sure to leave a lasting impression - or most probably, around half a dozen. In Cry Me A Liver, she magically morphs into some crazy characters. From the philosophising New York City homeless guy to the German mind and body healer with a serious Benicio del Toro fixation. Hang onto your seat as she takes you on a frantic, fun-filled joyride. With barely enough props to fill a hat stand, she manages a whole gamut of gimmickry. The accents are spot on. Especially the Connecticut airhead who comes complete with on-trend vocal fry. She's like, 'ahead of the currrrve' with that one. But it's the facial tics and twitches that really brings this pick' n' mix of people to life. Their stories range from jaw-achingly funny to poignantly sad. There's even room for a touch of surrealism via Sergei, a character who has more than a nodding acquaintance with Vladimir Putin. The material needs just a little tweaking and tightening to make it on par with the actual impersonations. Supremely comfortable and confident throughout, Lucie Pohl is a people person par excellence.
Until August 31
In Diary of A Dating Addict, Maddy Anholt is in search of love. With her 30th birthday looming, she is tired of meeting Mr Almost Right. She decides that spinsters should be doing it for themselves and takes to the internet to find her own Prince Charming. Her autobiographical show then lifts the laptop lid on a whirlwind year of dating, mating and bile-inducing bouts of hating. Friendly and slightly frenetic, Maddy's dating horror stories seemed to ring a lot of bells with the mainly female audience. At times it was like being on a giant hen party - albeit without the matching T-shirts. She plays all the characters herself, including her four worst dates of the year. The Made In Chelsea-style banker boyfriend, Rory is the stand-out here whilst some of the other accents, like anxious Antipodean, Tim need a little fine tuning. This is sharp, observant comedy though and with one in five of all UK relationships now beginning online, her subject matter is bang on-trend. Some outrageous flirting with a couple of men in the front row raises lots of laughs as she finally decides to abandon Tinder in favour of some old-school cheesy chat up.
Until August 31
Tinder dating is also the subject matter of Natasha Noman's autobiographical Fringe debut, Noman's Land. In it, the half-Pakistani comedy actress recounts the many trials and tribulations involved in finding a suitable same sex partner in Karachi. As she puts it, "there were six lesbians in the city and I was one of them." Against the advice of all her friends and family, she moves from midtown Manhattan to Pakistan to work as a journalist. The culture shock hits her like a ton of bricks. "Even the smells have no logic to them," she says. In setting the scene, Natasha plays a number of different characters including her extremely privileged and whiny date, her hard-hitting news editor, laconic driver and slightly bemused English mother. During her time there, she narrowly misses a gun raid on her offices and it transpires that her Tinder date's father has recently been kidnapped by the Taliban. This sense of chaos mixed with true confession is well-measured but the show is slightly disjointed and at times can't seem to decide if it's a comedy or serious political piece. Natasha Noman is, however a fine mimic with a deliciously dry sense of humour and excellent stage presence.
Until August 15
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