Behind every woman is not just one character. There are a collection of weird and wonderful personalities just dying to be heard. At least that’s what Maddy Anholt will have you believe in her new show, Herselves. Luckily for the audience, the women wanting to be heard from Anholt are brilliant.
This one woman stand up, character comedian and at times improv artist had the world out against her the day I saw the show but she batted every problem off with ease and hilarity. Mic problems? Don’t worry, one of her characters, Shazza, relied on her two days of drama school training and projected her chavvy heart out. Got a heckler that won’t give up? Just get the crazed zoo keeper dressed as peacock to give him one of the most disturbing lap dances he’ll ever receive. Or if someone decides to eat a full meal during your show, give them a blow-up phone half way through their mouthful and tell them it’s time for audience call in on double yolk eggs. Granted, these disruptions won’t happen every show, but Anholt’s beautiful comic timing made you think she’d planned them all along.
My favourite characters of the hour had to be a woman who collects husbands named Norman (subsequently getting two audience members to brush her hair and paint her nails), and another character’s inner child. It’s this moment when the child is skipping away with glee when you realise just how talented Maddy Anholt is. She commands the stage for an hour and showcases such a range of personalities and voices that you start to think there’s got to be someone else backstage too. It’s easy to see that Anholt will be big very, very soon.
Review by Georgia Rix
Rating: ★★★★
