Reviewed by Catherine Brown
Zoe Lyons lives up to her entertaining, funny woman reputation during her ‘Little Misfit’ pre-Edinburgh preview run as seen in the Staffordshire city of Lichfield.
The Lichfield Garrick is a modern theatre with a main auditorium, though this performance was in the smaller studio which seats around 150 people. Finding the theatre was easy due to the brown signs and there were a variety of parking options. We chose the bus park, which is just a short walk from the theatre entrance.
The staff at the Garrick were very welcoming and polite, although we were only allowed to take soft drinks into the studio – so my friend had to finish her coffee before entering. Once inside we used the labels on the staircases to find our seats. There were tiered seats in a semicircle with plenty of legroom and a good view of the stage.
I am more familiar with seeing Zoe Lyons on the television panel shows including Mock the Week. Without other comedians or a larger audience to bounce off I was interested to see how she would perform in her one woman show. Zoe recalled stories of growing up in Ireland as a lesbian being taught by nuns, along with sharing her views on the state of national and international politics. She also mentioned her Dutch wife and dealing with her elderly father’s problems with modern technology.
Her work was neither offensive nor highly entertaining and £16 for a 1 hour show seemed rather steep. The audience appeared to be mainly 50+ and maybe this was why her material came across as quite ‘safe’. There was some audience interaction, but this was always done in the form of a question about shared experiences and never in a mocking way, which was a relief. The biggest giggle from our corner came when Zoe recalled her indignation at seeing a Buddhist monk in business class.
Zoe’s show is part of the Lichfield Festival which runs until the 15th July. Events include music, theatre and art happening in locations across the city including the Lichfield Garrick, Lichfield Cathedral and Swinfen Hall Hotel.
I would give the overall experience a 4/5 rating – Zoe Lyons was very funny but didn’t make me cry with laughter.
Rating: 4/5
The Lichfield Festival runs from 7-15 July 2017, for more information or to book tickets visit www.lichfieldfestival.org or call the box office on 01543 412 121.
Lichfield Garrick Theatre, Castle Dyke, Lichfield, WS13 6HR | 01543 412121
