ED2022 3/5 Reviews ED2022 Comedy Reviews

Sooz Kempner: Playstation (Sooz Kempner / PBH’s Free Fringe)

By | Published on Wednesday 24 August 2022

Kinetically introduced by classic games music, ‘Playstation’ contrasts Kempner’s shared box-room coming-of-age, via the first “grown-up” console, with flash-forward moments exploring the topic of never really feeling grown-up. Set pieces, including a sexy, overwrought ‘Star Spangled Banner’ rendition justify her reputation as a hilarious, energising comic, self-deprecator and singer. However, amusing lockdown comedy anecdotes (Facebook banned her for referencing India’s ‘Hitler’ ice-cream) and Twitter exchanges don’t necessarily serve the somewhat-sidelined premise. Stitched together with call-backs, varied gags and videos, politics montages, explaining ‘Grease’, then a sharp tone-change into a tribute to a much-loved friend, ‘Playstation’, like Kempner, jumps around a lot. Like a Playstation magazine demo disc, it’s thrilling samples of two, perhaps three promising shows which may each deserve a full play-through.

PBH’s Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Richard Tyrone Jones]

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