Lucy Hopkins is a remarkable physical comedian in her latest show channeled by a "goddess". After entering down the steps, face transmogrified by various otherworldly wretches as if possessed, it was almost disappointing not to see ectoplasm issuing from her mouth.
suddenly start to spin Exorcist-style.
She used a theramin machine to good effect and had a spirit baby with a willing member of the audience following a copulation of energy fields. Her explanations of logos and mythos were good, though a story about how women became witches and were then persecuted was somewhat lost in translation later in the show, as was an attempt to share a clip of her late grandfather singing which only the front middle two rows could see as there was no projector serving the whole tent.
My problems with the show was that there was no apparent focus and the material was patchy, and in some cases, existed only in gurning form.
There was also too much milking when she got a reaction to a primal howl or gesture and a completely pointless meditation to get people to join her on stage at the end. Even the title of the show, "Ambition: Powerful Women are About", was weak. "Indigo Child", "Primal Howl" or anything else would have been better to give some clue about the show’s contents. Had I not seen a leaflet going into further detail, I would never have gone based on the Brighton Fringe programme description alone.
Lucy had to repeatedly consult her notes which is not what anyone expects at a non-bucket show in the Spiegel-sphere and neglected to exploit a whole juicy alternative world of ying and yang, chakra’s, dogmas, gong showers, yoga, reincarnation, lentils, ouroboros, dreams, signs, lunar phases, revolting spells using revolting ingredients etc.
She could have been a sublime Tommy Cooper in goddess form. What Lucy possesses in abundance is performance talent. And potentially a great character in the channeled goddess. With stronger material to complete this holy comedy trilogy she could be unstoppable.
*** out of five for this incarnation.
Laura King
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