I first saw Katie Hill and Charlotte Glucina last year in the Fringe Festival in their first show – also called Horny and Confused – just before the Covid lockdown made us all that way.  

Horny and Confused 2 is a comedy show with music – ‘I want to live in a period drama’ is definitely one of the highlights of the evening – embarrassing yet relatable stories involving sex, parents and menstruation cups. The piece is a welcome return of these two young emerging comedians.

Unfortunately the pair are mostly travelling over the same comedic terrain as last year’s show. Whilst there is a wealth of new material, they have not yet found a way to achieve their full potential as a comedy duo. They are held back by a number of things. Firstly the material is not as edgy or controversial as they think it is. The promise of a gutsy examination of sexual mores and hang-ups is unfulfilled. The show never really rises above an undergraduate level of exploration of its theme. The references to masturbation are not much more than teenage-y titilation, but they are closer to the mark with the section about menstrual cups. This is partly because this material is a lot more personal and less generic in its approach.

Both women also still need to really find their performance personas both as individuals and as a duo. They seem to be trying to be a female Flight of the Conchords but there is so much more to be explored in their relationship. Finding their individual strengths and characteristics and elevating these would help to flesh out their act. We get hints that Glucina is the loud one, the driver, the street wise one, whilst Hill is the nerdy one, the passenger, the shy one. This could be developed a lot more to greater comic effect. 

The mechanics of the show are a little sloppy. The timing too often is off, the rhythms haven’t yet gelled, punchlines aren’t always given the correct weight and the pair still lacks the level of detailing of writing and delivery that they seem to be capable of. However the sudden and often illogical segues from one section to the next are comedy gold as these moments signal most clearly to the audience what the world of these performers is.

Opening night nerves lead them to speaking over the audience’s laughter and the resultant loss of punchlines. In the beginning the banter between them seems a little forced and rehearsed. As the show goes on however, they both relax into it. Glucina in particular really begins to find her stride and let her character shine through, as she starts to relax and play with the audience in an authentic and satisfying way. This has the unfortunate effect of overshadowing Hill, although I feel that she perhaps is concealing the great potential. Hill also suffers from a quiet voice that occasionally gets overwhelmed by the instruments or the audience reactions.

Another major problem with the show is that it never allows the performers to reveal to us their vulnerability. Hill comes closest to this when she shares her struggles around her sexuality and her relationship with her parents. She purposely chooses to avoid the second in particular and this is the audience’s (and the show’s) loss.

Both performers are mostly confident on stage, but it is a confidence that borders on smugness. The opening night audience is very vocal in their support and includes a least a few friends of the performers. Too often the women are (literally) playing directly to these friends and family (I had the same issues with the show last year). Herein lies part of their problem. By playing to a known audience, who will only ever be supportive (as they should), these two comedians are denying themselves the chance to really develop their act. They need to cut the apron strings, step out of the comfort zones and really be generous with their work to a wider and unknown audience. 

The real heart of the show reveals itself at the end in a final song about the friendship between the two. This is the driver of their work and needs to be harnessed and tapped. This is obviously what gives these two young women the need to perform. This is what the audience can relate to. At the moment most of the pieces are there, they just need to be refined and put together in the right way. There is an opportunity for this duo to really evolve and step up to the next level. I look forward to seeing what they make of it. 

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer