one4review | On 04, Aug 2019

Mitigating factors about this show: 1. there were only two of us in the audience. That’s disconcerting for everyone, audience and performer. Ms Chima likened it to an AA meeting. 2. It starts before lunchtime. I think people who would like this kind of comedy are probably last-show-finishes-at-three-in-the-morning kind of people. 3. It was the first in her run.

Negative things about this show: Ms Chima seemed rather nervous, voice quavering and almost relentless uptalk-intonation (you know, when statements have the tone of a question, but aren’t). This could have been part of the schtick of the show, but if so, I didn’t feel she sold it hard enough for it to be successful or convincing. Additionally, Ms Chima’s delivery was quite unvaried, with no change of pace or tone either to indicate a punchline or funny bit, or to make space to allow them to land and be appreciated.

Positive things about this show: obscured by the delivery, the material had flashes of brilliance. Ms Chima’s surreality is whimsical, delightful, unexpected, unpredictable, and charmingly funny. She showed a flair for creative language, evocative phrasing, and startlingly vivid imagery – I could see her in the butter dish, talking to the butter.

The show is a collection of short-ish surrealist snippets purportedly about Ms Chima’s life. It’s not a narrative, but there are some recurring characters and tropes, and it’s a sort of hopscotching chilled mushroom-trip through the 3am corners of Ms Chima’s mind. This was not the performance of a comedian at her peak, but I really hope she keeps going and gets there. Oodles of potential.

Reviewed by Laura

Paradise in Augustines
11:25 (50mins); not 11th or 18th