Irresistibly funny, completely bonkers and chaotically out of pocket is the best way in which Kolliflower & Stupid & Favourite Cousin can be described. The three acts playing sequentially one after the other managed to keep the audience entertained with their improvised madness. Thanks to the tiered seating the view of the stage was impeccably clear meaning the audience could dedicate more of their attention to the acts themselves rather than on trying to avoid heads that may have been obscuring the view.
Kolliflower kicked off the performance in their 80s styled fits. The usual duo consists of Kimi and Holly however on this occasion Jiavani stepped in to cover for Holly. The duo interacted with the audience asking for a word and the ever so eager crowd provided them with one. The word was so good that it took at least two minutes to decipher the meaning, but the eager actors gaining what they wanted from the audience arranged two seats in the centre stage and pulled us into the first scene. From then on, the pair kept causing the audience to burst into fits of laughter. The two actors really worked well together. Jiavani’s high energy and expressive face contrasted perfectly with Kimi’s mix of sarcasm and dry humour. Each scene the duo took us through had a memorable line from “guy liner” to being “a mermaid from the waist up” and taking “a bath” being classed as “under the sea stuff”.
Second, we had the duo called Stupid. Mike and Al rocked up on stage dressed in kilts and t-shirts. After also initially interacting with the crowd the pair jumped into their first scene which was set in B&Q and from there, they took us to a funeral, castle and hospital. Both actors really managed to create an image of the set simply by where they were standing. Another noteworthy point in Mike and Al’s performance was the ease with which they switched between characters. Mike in the first scene started out as Steve and Al as Gary and by the end both played each role several times. The switching made the scenes dynamic and fast paced and also showed the actors acting range.
Finally, we had Myra Whittington and Monique Aya Parks from the act called Favourite Cousin take to the stage. Dressed in smart/casual cloths both actors brought with them a calming energy that slowly brewed into something more chaotic, a simple discussion about coffee turned into owning 100 horses in one stable and using drums as toilets. Whittington and Parks sustained a showing/telling theme throughout the improvisation. The telling served as breaks between scenes which worked well but was a bit static at points.
Reviewer: Marcelina Kruczynska
Reviewed: 23rd March 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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