Lucy and Friends, Soho Theatre Review

Reviews

2 Mar

Written by Bronagh for Theatre & Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.

Content warnings – strobe and flashing lights, nudity, sexual content with adult themes and audience participation.

Soho Theatre is an impossibly cool venue, nestled amongst the bars and restaurant of Dean Street and in the shadows of some big West End theatres. Soho Theatre has been the home to some brilliant shows, now including Lucy and Friends. Lucy and Friends is the brainchild of comedian Lucy McCormick, promising sing-a-longs and silliness. I hadn’t seen any of Lucy’s previous work, and had also failed to read the content warnings beforehand – so I was truly shocked. But not in a bad way! Lucy and Friends is beyond funny and chaotic, and almost bizarrely, a vulnerable performance.

The show starts with Lucy dressed as a tree (I have no idea either) awkwardly making her way through the audience before taking her place on the sparkly stage. We also see Lucy as a pole dancing builder, a vagina baring sex therapist, a cat and a ghost attempting to drink red wine. Yes, you read all of that correctly and yes this really does all take place within an hour. Lucy lumbers through the audience, singing along to Adele and up to the balcony where she does a remarkably good cat impression. Lucy’s frantic outfit changes and running dialogue throughout these are a funny and awkward watch (or listen, depending how you’re looking at it), much to the audiences’ delight. The chaotic stage clean ups, anything from red wine to humus to confetti, are a delight to watch despite us being left awkwardly waiting for the next scene.

Audience participation really does send shiver down my spines. I’m sorry, but this is just who I am as a person. This was definitely the case last night as I was in an aisle seat and therefore an easy target. Most of the audience were picked out before the show started, given tasks such as reading from a script, throwing confetti and shining a torch. I could breathe a sigh of relief, although these tasks would have been bearable for me had I been picked. Only just. Lucy also chose audience members to play her mum (disappointed), her agent (never there) and a reviewer (she won’t read it… but loves you!). This is where the vulnerability elements came in to play too; Art Council funding is one thing, but the disappointment and frustration around performing is a real thing too and Lucy wasn’t afraid to make this clear. She spoke openly about feeling lonely, something we don’t talk about often enough really.

Lucy is a fantastically talented, funny and chaotic performer. Her awkward engagement with the audience is brilliant, and she even gives out some free red wine at one point. This is the type of friend that we all need. Lucy leaves all shyness at the door, and we see A LOT of her (literally). Do be aware of this before going to see Lucy and Friends and do take notice of the content warnings!

I’m not entirely sure how I would describe Lucy and Friends. Is it cabaret? Is it poking fun at cabaret? I’m not really sure, and I’m not sure if Lucy or any other audience members are sure either. However you want to define it, Lucy and Friends is ridiculously good fun and a crowd pleaser for sure.