Do you believe in God? What about Santa? In that case, why not a Christmas demon called Krampus or a “slutty Blue Google Maps Dot”?
Comedian and Journalist Ange Lavoipierre of The Signal fame asks these questions – the same ones she asked her mum when she was 10, just before she was converted by a group of extremist Christians.
In Zealot, Lavoipierre plots her life’s course from young wannabe witch, through to young Crusader, on past her experience of being a 12-year-old groomed by a 21-year-old Pastor’s son, sailing by a bout of serious illness in her teens, and landing right here, telling her story and questioning how easily we believe what we’re told.
This hour of comedy storytelling borders on the absurd, niche brand of character-driven laughs that make Fringe theatre great. Fleshing out her bizarre cast of characters with spot-on voices and great costume changes, Lavoipierre’s show is at it’s best when it’s at it’s craziest. It’s in these moments, often through the guise of other people, that the funniest (and somehow the most poignant) stories are told.
Hampered by tech issues, noise bleed from neighbouring venues in Gluttony (Zealot is in one of Gluttony’s new open air venues), wind blowing half the props away, and as Lavoipierre herself put it, time away from the show, this hour of comedy wasn’t at it’s snappiest. Some lines were missed or fumbled, and there were sections where it was hard to hear over the chorus of WAP occurring in a nearby show. This, at times, seemed to through Lavoipierre off her game.
Having said that, there were plenty of laughs, great characters, and an engaging story from a fantastic performer. Just sit back, pray to Krampus, and bring an extra jacket. Tarot readings encouraged.
Kryztoff rating: 4K
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