Holly Spillar @ Underbelly Bristo Square
Gorgeous vocals accent this class-comedy from Mad Hatter-like musical comedian Holly Spillar
Working in collaboration with the excellent charity Arts Emergency, Holly Spillar delivers a punchy, perky, and heartfelt hour of comedy told from a working-class perspective. With the combined power of her confident stage presence and a loop pedal, she manages to put a funny yet nuanced spin on the ever-widening gap between rich and poor. Tall Child provides the perfect comic relief amid perils of the cost-of-living crisis – by talking about it at length.
Spillar focuses particularly on those least equipped to understand the economic crisis we find ourselves in, but likely to be most impacted by it: children. Her accounts of her experiences as a child who was afraid of children are hilarious and, personally, highly relatable. The descriptions that she can give us of her secretive job caring for the three-year-old child of a billionaire are where the show really gets interesting, granting us insight into the far-off world of the ultra-wealthy. It’s clear that Spillar’s bond with this child was strong, in spite of their vast differences, and it’s certainly endearing to witness. Even now, Spillar has a somewhat childlike demeanour about her, like a cross between Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter; her wild, curly hair, enormous eyes, and manic grin certainly adding to this impression.
Full of excitement, Spillar delivers a series of original songs that add a wonderful accent of personality to the piece. They’re certainly novel, but they can sometimes stop the show’s flow in its tracks. Nevertheless, it’s intriguing to watch as she systematically builds up these songs – from a Kate Bush-esque ballad about the time she pretended to be Jesus, to a slightly out-of-date Charli XCX ‘brat’ parody – using her trusty loop pedal. Although they sound pretty, their lyrics have the fierce bite of frustration with the world lurking behind them. But, if all the talk of economic downturn and gruelling minimum wage work gets you down, her gorgeous harmonies come as a welcome distraction.
Holly Spillar: Tall Child, Underbelly Bristo Square (Dexter), until 24 Aug (not 19), 5.45pm, £8.50-12.50