one4review | On 12, Aug 2019

Ms Nicolson is both a stellar comic actor, and a brilliant writer. From her very first bounce onto the stage she projects an energy and enthusiasm that the audience is delighted to respond to. This show presents four women, all looking for ways to be happy. Each appears twice, with their own mini-narrative, into which is packed masses of characterisation and development. They’re all, in their own ways, entirely charming, and their various flaws and foibles just make them all the more human and real.

If you saw Ms Nicholson last year (though you can see last year’s show this year, if you haven’t, at a different venue), you’ll be familiar with some of the characters – vacuous Bianca, trendy Reverend Ruth, and utterly adorable Shirley, who dispenses the best wisdom. Would that I grow old to be Shirley! There’s a new addition this year: CoCo (without an ‘e’!), seeking calm, definitely not vengeance.

The show is accompanied by live piano, and features various well-known songs reworked with new, situation appropriate, lyrics. There’s quite a bit of audience participation, ranging from answering various questions to live, on-stage, marriage preparation lessons – and much of the laughter here was of the ‘I’m so glad that’s not me’ variety. But all of the audience was invested in the emotional highs and lows of each character – we were genuinely distraught at Reverend Ruth’s viscerally demonstrated disappointment.

Brilliant show from a brilliant performer.

Reviewed by Laura

Just the Tonic @ The Caves
17:05 (not 12th)