Katy Brand’s Big Ass Tour – Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

Reviewer: Audrey Pointer

The Public Reviews Rating:

The last time comedienne Katy Brand performed a live show was at the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe. It’s a completely different affair as she embarks on her first UK tour this week. Voted Best Female Newcomer in the 2008 British Comedy Awards and 2010 Loaded LAFTA’s Funniest Woman award winner, Katy Brand is known through Have I Got News For You and Peep Show and is of course the star of ITV2′s Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show.

Following a successful three series of her hit TV show, Katy returns to her live comedy roots with what promises to be a “silly, sassy and smart evening of anarchic comedy, celebrity satire and music spoofs”. Featuring old favourites and new material, it is hoped there’s something here for everyone.

The set is a big cartoon television, designed by Edward Dick, which holds a screen within it for projections. This clever technology allows Katy to talk to the screen and interact with it. Knifedge Creative Network’s Nina Dunn has designed and directed the production of content – everything from the opening titles through to filming Katy’s characters against green screen for Katy to interact with live on stage. A high point has Katy’s Lily Allen on stage talking to three other Lily Allens on screen. It’s a very ambitious show in terms of costume changes – such as from Lady Gaga to the Queen in less than 30 seconds – but these are managed flawlessly with film sequences maintaining the interest level during the changes.

Brand gives an energy packed performance featuring her favourite monstrous caricatures, such as Amy Winehouse, Captain Rosie Fielding and Her Majesty The Queen, plus brand new songs, sketches and characters. She ably performs songs in the distinctive styles of celebrity singers Duffy, Mariah and Amy. For her devotees and hardcore fans it did not disappoint. But many of the sketches are just too repetitive and predictable for those of us uninitiated into her particular ‘brand’ of expletive humour and they feel overlong. And although I could enjoy aspects of the characterisations they are not convincing or smart enough as satire to keep me hooked. There are some exceptions – the Scouse Footballer’s wife owned lock, stock and boobs by the Club and Caroline the ‘lush’ who is having a bad day and drinking her way through it are intelligently observed without resorting to clichéd gross parody.

There is limited mileage in celebrity culture and for me Brand’s send-ups feel a little jaded. The fans were loyal, laughing in anticipation of the sketches even before they began. She had an audience clearly in tune with her yet she often seemed quite uncomfortable and at a loss to respond to their affectionate repartee. It was a shame that we did not see the real Katy Brand till she came on for her curtain call, wigless and undisguised and for the first time truly connected with them. Maybe she is just too used to working to camera.

This pick ’n’ mix offering failed to please. Some bits were pleasant enough, some tasteless, and some I just didn’t like.