As soon as Maria Telnikoff bursts onto the Buttercup stage at Underbelly Bristo Square in a frenetic, gyrating dance to Charli xcx’s ‘Guess’, she totally commands the space with her charisma and physical comedy skills.
It’s an energetic start, and she maintains this electric energy throughout her 60-minute show All The Men Are Going To Hate Me.
After she’s got that dance out of her system, Telnikoff introduces us to the concept of the show: she wants to write the next great work of literature — about all the men she’s slept with.
It’s a simple but clever framework that allows her to break up and act out each of these stories as individual ‘chapters’, which she punctuates with a series of placards.
As she takes us through the journey of her sexual history, we’re introduced to characters such as “The Photographer”, “The Feminist”, and — worst of all — “The Poet”.
Part stand-up routine, part character study, it’s a surreal hour of laughs and uncomfortable truths which cements Telnikoff as a very exciting voice in theatre.
She’s got a real knack for physical comedy, often turning to hilarious interpretive dance to reenact her sexual encounters, keeping the energy and pacing up nicely.
She’s a charming performer who feels highly relatable, and she maintains a good rapport with the audience throughout (even with those who are clearly less fond of audience participation).
Supporting Telnikoff’s natural comic flair is her ability to push boundaries and be experimental with her humour. This results in some great bits, such as when she performs her rather unique book of poetry or imitates a conversation she had with a lover through a call-and-response version of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s ‘Shallow’.
The experimental nature of her humour means that not every joke lands a huge response from the audience, but I’d defy anyone to not have fun while watching this joyously entertaining show.
There’s something for everyone to enjoy here, but especially anyone who has faced the perils of the so-called ‘situationship’, fancied their English teacher, or made some questionable choices in the name of sexual empowerment.
Telnikoff’s My Dad Wears a Dress was one of my personal Fringe highlights from last year, so it’s great to see her flexing her talents in a new way this time around. I can’t wait to see what she does next!
Reviewer: Olivia Cox
Reviewed: 9th August 2024
North West End UK Rating: