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  Art Murmurs - Wellington Reviews

Reviews

Pressure Makes Diamonds

5/5/2016

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Julz Burgisser

Picture
Pressure Makes Diamonds and this show is a shining example of that. Laura Daniel is a 2016 Billy T Nominee and the pressure is on to compete with the other nominees for that coveted top spot. She promises us a spectacle and what she’s delivered is a rollercoaster ride of glorious glitter, dancing and comedy to sink your teeth into. 
This is a show that has serious bling. There’s props, characters and all kinds of liquid pouring, sometimes from some very unexpected places. There’s audio, video and a X-Factor audition. There’s some audience interaction for a lucky few and it’s not in a cursory “what do you do for a job” way, it’s in a “I had to put down my pen and come back seriously puffed” kind of way. 

Then there’s the comedy… 

I need to pause here because it really was breath-taking and not just because I’d been exerting myself on stage. In various characters and during the many sketch pieces, she manages to tackle the topics of sexism, racism, bull semen, sexual harassment, and stereotypes. She barely even breaks a sweat doing it. The audience are easily won over by her comedic logic and exaggerated theatrical style and we’re laughing so hard we’re crying. These are huge topics to deal with for any comic and the skill that she touches on them while making sure it’s never uncomfortable for us, is pure genius. 

There’s a few moments where fellow comic and 2015 Billy T Award Winner Hamish Parkinson is our entertainment. These cameo’s where Daniel is switching characters are highlights also and it’s a masterful stroke to work these in to enable her to really delve into costuming her characters and killing those who really annoy you. 

The energy and enthusiasm that she displays on stage is infectious and the songs that the show is set to are powerhouse songs designed to set the mood of a fun time. This is an hour of pure action that flew by, with huge numbers at the beginning and end, with a whole load of clever comedy in the middle. With barely a mishap on the opening night, with headbands and a wine glass being the only casualties, it’s clear this show has been honed to perfection before being brought to the stage and it’s paid off. 

If it sounds like I’m just starting to ramble on and on about how great this show is, it’s because I am. Laura Daniel has made the top of my list for favourite frumpy girl, mainly because of her sketch proving to us all that though she may be frumpy she can still be sexy, which I’m still crying with laughter about. 

I actually am dying to share more details about the show with you, I really am. I’m having a crisis of reviewing here. But I can’t and I won’t because in actual fact I want you to go see the show for yourselves. This show is now my favorite for the NZ International Comedy Festival 2016 and I think it would take an awful lot to knock it off it’s pedestal. I can’t fault it, maybe you can but as Daniel would say I give zero f**ks about that. So go buy tickets! After you’ve seen it message me so we can relive it and fall about laughing together. 

Laura Daniel’s show Pressure Makes Diamonds on at BATS Theatre from Tues 3 May to Sat 7 May at 7pm. 

Read more and buy tickets from here: http://www.comedyfestival.co.nz/find-a-show/laura-daniel/

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