New Zealand comic, Rose Matafeo, I think came to my
attention via being recommended on Twitter by various comics I believe she's
good friends with Nish Kumar etc Al, and I saw her in 2016 in a music quiz show
called 'Beat This'. She put in a pretty decent performance and I was interested
to see what she was like as a stand up.
As the audience files in, Matafeo challenges various
audience members to short table tennis games on an impractically small table
tennis table - it's a good display of her playfulness though and sets the tone
of Matafeo's comic voice: energetic and game for a laugh.
The show itself is a journey through Matafeo's passions,
growing up in the 90s and early 00s just as the internet was becoming
omnipresent in our lives and digital cameras were becoming obsolete. It's also
an exploration of female sexuality and Matafeo's passions (which surprisingly
include K-pop).
Overall it's a delightful, invigorating show from a talented
comic. It's got everything from spot on observations, charisma, panache and
sass, embarrassing childhood photos and entertaining act-outs. This is perhaps
an odd observation, but she's got especially good mic technique - Lord does she know how to emphasise points for
comic effect.
Towards the end is a particularly poignant moment where
Matafeo shares her own experience of sexual harassment, demonstrating her skill
as a performer: it's a sensitive moment but it's so deftly and subtly brought
in to the narrative of show it's not at all jarring.
This is an accomplished show and Rose Matafeo is definitely
one to keep an eye out for in the UK.
Score: 8/10
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard - Above
Dates: 7th-26th August (not 14th)
Time: 18:20
Price: £11 (£10 concessions)
weekends, £10 (£9) or £9 (£8) weekdays
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