★★★★

“a clever and entertaining evening”

Rachel Parris hits a lot of classic millennial comedy topics: home ownership, tackling anxiety, the pressures of female perfection. But she does so with a slick confidence, and a consistency which makes her stand up shine.

Her freshest, sharpest jokes are in her patches of satire, as fans of The Mash Report will attest. In Poise she combines topical comedy (maybe national service could be utilised to tackle the childcare crisis) with some bits which are obviously older, her last tour was five years ago. Songs about Liz Truss and the queues at Dover are less topical now, but are still funny, and bring a warm nostalgia to the show.

Her particular brand of comic feminist song brought her prevalence on podcasts like The Guilty Feminist and these work well live, weaved into the whole show. She sits at the piano, belting out memorable songs like ‘What do Women Want?’ (Parris suggests it’s gloves…) and her take on the iconography of the Bond girl, which is a showstopping end to the night.

It’s not only politics though. Parris lays her trepidation about turning 40 bare – admitting her life is in a far better place than on her last tour. She is used to putting her personal life on display, she’s married to fellow comic Marcus Brigstocke, with whom she has a podcast ‘How Was it For You?’ But this show is carefully crafted, allowing the audience windows into her life, without ever going too deep, or baring too much.

Some parts are stronger than others, an a cappella folk number about the wisdom she’s gained with age is a weird note towards the end, though ties the themes together neatly.

There could be more of an overarching story across the show, but as a series of bits, broken up by comic songs which showcase her impressive vocal skills, this makes for a clever and entertaining evening.

IVO GRAHAM: CAROUSEL at Park Theatre

★★★★

“It is not often you want to give a performer a hug after a show, and I have to hold myself back when I see him in the lobby afterwards”

It is hard to categorise Ivo Graham’s new show. It is billed ambiguously as a “soundtracked story of a life”, and within the opening bars of Bonobo’s Migration it becomes clear that this is not a straightforward comedy hour.

The single microphone Graham stands by for the opening piece is lit by a soft spotlight, and to the backdrop of minimalist electronica he embarks on something more akin to spoken word. The repetition, rhythm, earnestness (and lack of out and out jokes) are a bit of a shock if you’re expecting the Graham of Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, or Taskmaster (aside from the regular breakdowns on the latter).

Besides Graham on the raised stage are two mic stands, one with a tiger onesie draped over it, and the other with a running vest and a bucket hat. There’s a table in the space with what can only be described as knick-knacks. The show is structured around the story of ten of these memories, many of which are tickets and photographs which are ceremoniously pinned up on a cork board against the back wall.

These memories take Graham on a journey from Edinburgh back to London, on the dating app Raya, through his Grandmother’s house before she passed away, and through the highlights of his time with his young daughter. It ends up feeling like a proper introspection through the fairly extraordinary adult life of a performer who has known extensive comic success. This is not a show played for relatability for the most part, and not even for jokes: the biggest laugh comes from the disparagement of a well known (though well disliked) actor.

What it does have, however, is a searingly honest exploration of nostalgia and regret. The most emotional section is a minute dedication to a lost friend, with nothing but the Waterboys playing. This is a beautiful paean, and is deeply affecting.

It feels like Graham – presumably after a lot of therapy – has pulled back the curtain on his usually bombastic, self effacing comic persona. There is a big question on here of why he has chosen to do this now. Maybe it has been a couple of years coming; Graham was asked about the influence of Hannah Gadsby’s groundbreaking Nanette during his previous tour which skirted around some of these topics. However, Carousel does not even use the veil of comedy as a frame, which I think is to its credit.

It is not often you want to give a performer a hug after a show, and I have to hold myself back when I see him in the lobby afterwards. I’m still slightly none the wiser as to what the show really is, or who it is meant to be for, but I don’t think it ultimately matters. The lights fall as Public Service Broadcasting (the band, not the Beeb) plays out, and it takes a few minutes before I feel ready to speak properly. It is an encouraging foray into a different type of storytelling, and I cannot wait to see where Graham goes from here.

RACHEL PARRIS: POISE at Leicester Square Theatre

★★★★

“a clever and entertaining evening”

RACHEL PARRIS: POISE at Leicester Square Theatre

Reviewed on 5th June 2024

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Karla Gowlett

Rachel Parris is touring with Poise until 20th October – click on the image below for tour dates and tickets

Previously reviewed at this venue:

RACHEL PARRIS

RACHEL PARRIS

IVO GRAHAM: CAROUSEL at Park Theatre

★★★★

“It is not often you want to give a performer a hug after a show, and I have to hold myself back when I see him in the lobby afterwards”