Sarah Kendall: One-Seventeen
Soho Theatre
Reviewed – 15th May 2018
★★★★
“it’s refreshing to see an invigorating female comedian using comedy to directly address universal issues”
Award-winning Australian comedian and storyteller, Sarah Kendall, returns to the Soho Theatre with her latest show which involves a compilation of stories from various periods in her life. From vet appointments for a hamster to near-death experiences at an early age, Kendall walks us through the emotional rollercoaster of life condensed into a one-hour show.
Kendall has shifted from her previous stand-up persona, which won her the first of two Edinburgh Comedy Awards nominations, and now focuses more on using anecdotes and past experiences towards cultivating an incredibly unique and compelling style of storytelling, a perfect balance of tragedy and comedy.
One-Seventeen is a show comprised of various moments from Kendall’s life, often ones she deems herself as ‘life-changing’ such as watching Halley’s Comet as a child with her family in their back garden in Australia. Kendall presents these memories to the audience with a concoction of brilliantly timed jokes, an atmosphere of vulnerability and a deeply profound message within. What makes Kendall’s show so memorable and emotional at its climax is that it is riddled with anecdotes that relate to more than your average Anglo audience. Whilst the majority of today’s most popular comedians focus on the humour of the mundane, Kendall takes this comedic tool and, with her captivating storytelling, creates an underlying narrative of oneness and humility.
Kendall is a model example of comedian, tired from the already over-crowded stand-up scene, who has constructed her own unique comic style that appeals to a wider audience and doesn’t totally depend on minute cultural references. In the run-up to the Fringe it’s refreshing to see an invigorating female comedian using comedy to directly address universal issues we all will experience throughout life. Her show is carefully written so each story blends with the other, all weaving together as part of a rich narrative tapestry, with a great deal of depth embedded within.
Reviewed by Claire Minnitt
Photography by Rosalind Furlong
Sarah Kendall: One-Seventeen
Soho Theatre until 19th May
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