You have to admire the ambition of a show called Every Single Thing in My Whole Entire Life, the latest from Zoë Coombs Marr, which she performed at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe and is now in its Soho Theatre residency. It’s an hour that takes on some big themes – sexuality, mental health, the state of comedy – while digging down into her life as she reaches 40, and has done something of a stock check.
For the most part it works as Coombs Marr talks us through not what we may consider to be the big life events of weddings and funerals, but those brief moments we experience that stick in our memory, from sibling battles and her dating history to her sister being sick over her (there’s quite a bit of vomit in this show), and many points between – all faithfully recorded on an incredibly detailed spreadsheet.
The spreadsheet could be seen as a metaphor for our brains, with myriad connections possible between seemingly unconnected thing, capable of sparking off so many other thoughts, feelings and life events.
You may have guessed from the spreadsheet reference that Coombs Marr is one of that large cohort of stand-up comics who has been diagnosed with ADHD – a state of affairs that she gets some deliciously waspish material out of, as well as the growth of queer comedy, something that has impacted Coombs Marr, herself gay.
The show is essentially a bunch of anecdotes, with the subject matter sometimes chosen by Coombs Marr, occasionally by the audience, from the headings on her documents shown on the onstage screens.
Of course when the audience sees “Cate Blanchett” they will want to hear that story (a good one that Coombs Marr tells against herself about her encounter with her fellow Australian), but other highlights include her dad’s attempt some years ago at making curry “I can still taste it”, having a panic attack, childhood friendships and the place Ellen DeGeneres has in her life.
On the night I saw the show there was a quiet audience in and Coombs Marr, a naturally energetic performer, struggled to keep the pace zingy. But this is a clever hour, full of delayed reveals and clever callbacks, with some big laughs.
- Until 21 September; then Soho Playhouse, NYC 4-5 October
- More comedy reviews on theartsdesk
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