Jasmine Regan Feldman reviews a humorous hour in the shower in the original ADC late-night sketch show
by Jasmine Regan Feldman
On Tuesday the 8th of February, we were lured out into the cold night by the promise of a sketch show that would rid us of those annoying thoughts that niggle at you in the shower by throwing them up on stage for an hour of cleansing comedy. Directed by Jemima Langdon, Shower Power was inspired by the best come-backs for an argument with your irritating flat-mate, your idea for the next great movie blockbuster, and the funniest joke you’ve ever written, but all delivered to your tiled wall while the suddenly ice-cold water brings you back to the reality of your second-floor shared-house bathroom.
“Some of the writing was not quite scrubbed and polished as it could have been”
Dan Clarke’s played an innocent showerer trying to get thoroughly scrubbed up for his day only to realise an entire audience had appeared to witness his shower concert. It certainly gives a whole new meaning to morning mirror manifestations. Beginning to embrace his sudden shower spotlight throughout the show, Clarke danced and sang his way across the stage as an amusing transition between skits. Some of the highlights of the show were this half-naked man dancing behind a shower curtain, since some of the writing was not quite scrubbed and polished as it could have been.
The favourite sketch of the night had to have been the polite serial killer that’s come to murder our Marion-like heroine. Unlike Norman Bates, his courtesy extends into his profession, so once he realises that his victim is at her most vulnerable, he puts the knife aside to engage in some small talk that quickly turns into potential chemistry. However, our characters realise their relationship won’t ever leave this bathroom and our heroine resigns herself to her fate. But wait! The condensation and the irresponsibility of not putting out the bath mat results in an accident your mother always warned you about, and our heroine lives another day. This was perhaps one of the best sketches of the evening, as I think the audience found the concept most relatable. We’ve all wondered whether there would be someone lurking just behind the shower curtain, and likely puzzled about what possible weapon could be grabbed just in case. More often than not, it’s merely a disgruntled flat-mate with less masochistic intent but as much anger behind the eyes as they yell, ‘Get your own body-wash!’.
Bill Dallas Lea’s characters were some of the most entertaining of the night, as he threw himself physically into the roles. His three monologues about attempting to catch a tiny, unnamed beast in his house were primarily saved by his delivery. Although the writing was only really polite-snort worthy, Dallas Lea’s performance held the shaky script together and what might have been a mildly unbearable three skits was made enjoyable and engaging by his delivery.
“It was an interesting insight into the private lives of strangers”
Similarly, I found Kitty Ford to be one of the stand-out actors purely due to her stage presence and undeniable charisma. All of Ford’s characters were funnier than they ought to have been thanks to her huge personality. I can’t wait to see her in a more serious role as it seems she has an excellent range, and I’d love to see more of her work.
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Since the skits were the shower brain-child of the writers, the premise of the show lent the sketches a strangely voyeuristic angle, as though we the audience had cracked open the bathroom door, expecting privacy but met with the likes of Clarke and Ford having an imaginary argument with their shampoo bottles. And so while the jokes weren’t always side-splitting, I found the concept quite an interesting insight into the private lives of strangers. Overall, Shower Power delivered some light-hearted and mildly-amusing comedy that was really brought to life by the cast.
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