Lara Ricote @ Monkey Barrel

If you’re thinking about bringing a partner, especially a slightly dubious one, to Lara Ricote’s weirdly wonderful hour Little Tiny Wet Show (Baptism) then let me assure you, there’s no cause for concern. Lara will talk them through it (not in a sexual way, although we are privy to her decidedly un-dirty talk), but with endearing understanding. And ultimately, it won’t matter if your partner hates the show anyway, because you’re in a new relationship now – we all are – with Lara. Our role as the audience/new squeeze? To be the rehearsal for Ricote’s off-stage relationship with Fernando, her Argentinian-born, Netherlands-residing boyfriend.

We get the rise, slight fall, then rise again of Ricote’s relationship. And what’s better than a love story? That’s exactly right. A rom-com. Ricote delivers, in her cartoonish, impish way, her methods of navigating her first (and hopefully last, but also hopefully not last) proper adult relationship. There’s a made-up song with nonsense lyrics, a healthy amount of audience interaction (she baptises us, you see, and we need a name for that), and a sexual fantasy role play that leads us giddily into Ricote’s absurd and wonderful world.

It feels cheap and obvious to call Ricote a ‘ball of energy’, given how utterly unconventional the show is, but that’s exactly what she is. Her energy is contagious, and even the most obscure bits have us totally onside. It’s this eccentricity, teamed with an infallible curiosity about us, her audience, that make this hour one of pure uninterrupted fun. Don’t be fooled by the erraticism Ricote exudes – she is completely in control. All roads (and there are many) lead to an expertly constructed hour of laughter and an almost insatiable hankering for more. Not to worry though, we’re sure there’s plenty more Lara Ricote to come.

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Lara Ricote: Tiny Little Wet Show (Baptism), Monkey Barrel (MB3), until 25 Aug (not 12, 19), 4.15pm, £7-12