URZILA CARLSON is A Whole Lot of Woman
Comedy Underground, 305 Queen St, Auckland
12/05/2010 - 15/05/2010
NZ International Comedy Festival 2010
Production Details
Urzila Carlson. Urz. Carl… Son. It doesn’t matter how you address her, she’ll have a hilarious comeback waiting, but only the first one’s free.
South African ex pat Urzila is “Highly entertaining”, with a “voracious and self deprecating humour that thrives on bad habits that most women stress about” (Theatreview). You’d be mad to miss her debut – her first solo show! “That woman is amazing, and a recipe for hilarity in my books” (Express). “The funniest show on earth, I‘ve seen her fifteen times and wish she was my wife” (WeMadeThisQuoteUp).
Urzila recently spent four weeks sharing the stage with some of the world’s notorious female comedians in a show called Titters, part of the 2010 Adelaide Fringe Festival. It sits rather nicely on her self-made shrine next to the rest of her comedy experience (but let’s not brag). Now she’s all warmed up to crank her first one-hour show for New Zealand.
It’s called A Whole Lot of Woman and it’s not worth living if you miss it. An entire hour with a larger than life South African who has more stories than the bible is worth its weight in gold these days.
Don’t miss 2008 NZ Guild’s Best Newcomer Urzila Carlson. Be sure to pop on a pair of adult nappies, there’s a 72.908362% chance you’ll need them.
Where and when you ask?
Dates: Wednesday 12 May – Saturday 15 May, 10pm
Venue: Comedy Underground 1 Wellesley Street West, Auckland central.
Tickets: Adult $15, Conc. & Groups 10+ $12
Bookings: Ticketek, 0800 TICKETEK, www.ticketek.co.nz
Show duration: 1 hour
1hr
Confidence and charm within the comfort zone
Review by Caoilinn Hughes 14th May 2010
Urzila Carlson’s comedy is a cocktail of observational, anecdotal and self-deprecating humour. The intimate Comedy Underground venue is the perfect setting for this unfortunately-titled show, A Whole Lot of Woman, which is characterised by up-close-and-personal, accessible comedy.
After a few presumably well-exercised fat jokes, Carlson warms-up the audience with some improv banter that gets us on her side. The show proceeds to introduce Urzila: introduce us to her weight, her self-appreciation, her sexuality, her ethnicity. She’s fat, she’s gay, she’s South African and she’s funny.
Although the subject matter is not very topical and somewhat predictable – fat jokes, gay jokes, dildo jokes, jokes about scary South Africa, a ginger joke, road rage jokes, fat person on a scooter jokes – the confidence and charm with which it is relayed makes up for the lack of original content.
However, I did come away feeling like Carlson has more potential than her script demonstrated. She’s extremely comfortable onstage for someone who has only been doing stand up for two years. That’s why it’s slightly disappointing that her jokes are so much within the comfort zone.
Having said that, there’s certainly an audience for it, so maybe it’s best to stick to your guns… even if they’re shooting blanks. [This par replaced at the author’s request, as follows:]
Having said that, the audience loved it and I very much enjoyed the show, so maybe it’s best that she play to her strengths, and people will enjoy the off-beat when it rears its head.
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Comments
ObiWanKenobi May 15th, 2010
Thanks Caoilinn, I think that re-edited ending really changes the whole tone of the review and it now seems more like the show I attended. And yes, more of the ad-libbing would've been most welcome :) Regards, Nathan.
Caoilinn Hughes May 14th, 2010
Thanks for your comment Obi. I've just requested that the review be updated :)
Caoilinn Hughes May 14th, 2010
Hi there,
I just realized that the 'shooting blanks' bit comes off much harsher than what I was meaning. I commented that Urzila's humour was on the safe side... but that the audience seemed to like it, so maybe she she stick to her guns - her safe guns! I'll rewrite that last line to try and get this across.
Overall, I enjoyed the show a lot. She played to her strengths well, but I found that the moments of improv, real creativity, and off-beat comedy really shone, and I would have liked to have seen more.
Thanks,
Caoilinn
ObiWanKenobi May 14th, 2010
I was at last night's show...I'm not sure if the reviewer was? Yes, Urzila was confident and charming, and had good audience interaction. Everyone watching the show seemed enthralled by the ride we were taken on...the rollercoaster of anecdotes and stories seemingly based on fact. What else are you supposed to talk about if you are a big, gay South African? I was always taught that the best stories come from experience. This show gave me a glimpse into a world I can never know, and it was a damn funny glimpse. Next time Chris Rock starts with his African-American jokes, maybe someone should tell him to shut up. Oh and I don't think a punch-line can be classed as a 'blank' if it results in hysterics and spontaneous applause...? I am just a little confused, but each to their own :) Everyone I was with enjoyed it, that's the main thing.