Review: SUSAN HARRISON: SHOULD I STILL BE DOING THIS?, Soho Theatre

Photo credit: Matt Stronge

After over 15 years in character comedy, Susan Harrison returns with a bunch of hilarious characters, proving quite quickly that she should still be doing this.

The comedian has definitely found an audience who resonates with her type of humour, and she blends in with them as the show begins, with everyone is looking for her.

Her first character, the not-as-iconic-as-Barbie Cindy doll, is impeccably created with her unsevered fingers and marshmallow-filled mouth.

She has structured jokes but blends in some improv and audience interaction with ease.

After some feminism talk and comparisons to Barbie, Harrison moves on to the podcaster who is obsessed with authenticity, collective breathwork and spirit animals. Still quite funny, but it felt the least explored out of all of them, even though there’s so much potential.

She then moves on to the loud, rave-loving panda who’s stuck in the zoo, and it’s incredibly creative. One has to wonder about the process of creating these characters because, while very grounded, they are absurd in the best way and still remain relatable.

After a couple more characters, one of the highlights being a contortionist who has a delightful improvisation exercise with an audience member, she brings herself on stage.

The show manages to have a lot of heart in between the laughter, as Harrison reflects on her growth and how that may look different for each person. It’s a very niche type of character comedy work, but if it lands with you, you are definitely in for a night of fun.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Beatriz Ferreira