A Giant Octopus, The Universe & Other Spooky Stuff
In a performance with more costume changes than Cher’s one-woman version of #WestSideStory, Cheekykita’s solo #comedy hour facetiously portrays multiple whimsical creatures in a series of eclectic & wacky skits. We can’t say for sure if we’ve ever seen a badger, octopus, ghost fly, AND a mermaid named #MarilynMonroe all sharing the same stage before, but, lucky for us, there’s always a first time, and in “A Giant Octopus, The Universe & Other Spooky Stuff” they all leave a lasting impression...🧜♀️🦟
Cheekykita’s one-woman show is highly interactive (be prepared!) & hilariously awkward. Case in point: she invites an audience volunteer on stage to act as the filmmaker in her new version of #MyOctopusTeacher🐙📹. Before that, she playfully asks us to stroke a badger hand puppet that she conveniently produces from her baggy trousers🦡🦡 She even lets one lucky audience member take the mic & lip sync as a wisecracking Scouse fish. Confused?? So are we, but trust us, it keeps the laughter rolling…
While the show has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, its abundant use of blue humour & #improv elements may seem more like a diversion than an integral part of the performance. Constant bawdy jokes overstay their welcome, and there are moments —like Cheekykita's rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine” in “octopus language”— where it is unclear if she's aiming for a punchline or improvising due to unpreparedness…
Nevertheless, there’s hardly a moment in “A Giant Octopus” where we *won’t* find ourselves in stitches. To no fault of her own, several technical glitches with sound equipment also crop up, but Cheekykita’s stamina keeps the ball rolling & her self-deprecating humour is a welcome respite on a Friday night after a tough workweek...
The central theme of the performance is puzzling & leaves us somewhat perplexed—is it an absurdist performance art piece, or a message about respecting all of Earth’s creatures..?🤷♀️🤷♂️ Regardless, "A Giant Octopus, The Universe & Other Spooky Stuff” is an effective tonic for letting loose, enjoying the chaos, and embracing full-blown #surreal comedy. 2/5⭐
#livecomedy #oldredliontheatre #Grimfest #londontheatre