It was a drizzly, gloomy night for the opening of Toxic Shock Bimbo at the NZ International Comedy Festival. Luckily for me though, it was pure sunshine on the Basement Theatre’s main stage where Rhiannon McCall was performing (because we had a good time at the show—you get it).
There was a pretty good turnout for a Tuesday night, and the audience filled the space with raucous laughter from start to finish. If there’s one thing you need to know about this show it’s that Rhiannon McCall is a gem and a delight.
The show weaves together the personal and the universal, the toxic and the trivial. I was honestly expecting more sexual material for the ‘shock’ part, but that was maybe in reference to the surprising amount of David Bain material. I can say with certainty though that Rhiannon is neither toxic nor a bimbo (or at least I wouldn’t call her that based purely on this performance).
“[McCall] commanded the space with charm and wit for the show’s duration, interacting with the audience with the ease of a practised improviser.”
The audience was treated not just to the stylings of McCall herself, but to a variety of supplementary characters. From an opening act all the way from New York City, to the Basement Theatre security inspector, these characters reminded the audience that McCall is also an accomplished actor. Across the varied cast of characters, the main commonality is their moustaches that migrated to the floor with increasing determination as the night went on.
Stand-up comedy as an art form is incredibly vulnerable. Being alone on stage for 60 minutes and sharing your worldview with a room of strangers is something most people don’t want to do. I’ve certainly watched shows where I felt nervous for the performers as they made themselves vulnerable in a way that felt uncomfortable. McCall has not done that with this show. She commanded the space with charm and wit for the show’s duration, interacting with the audience with the ease of a practised improviser.
Despite the setup being that McCall was doing this show only to ‘make us like her’, it felt like she was in control of how she presented herself the whole time. Proudly sharing ‘irrational fears’ through the character of ‘a-Russian-woman-you’ve-been-sat-next-to-on-a-plane’ is a great setup allowing McCall to share her vulnerability in a hilarious and relatable way that doesn’t make us feel bad for her. I also really enjoyed the ‘like-ability’ meter used throughout the show to gauge how the audience was feeling about McCall.
Toxic Shock Bimbo perfectly demonstrates why Rhiannon McCall is a contender for the Billy T Award this year, beautifully showcasing her comedy style and many diverse skills as a performer. When McCall asked the audience “Who gets a Brazilian?” two women in the audience answered, and an earnest and hilarious discussion about waxing ensued. That tells you everything you need to know about the excellent vibes Rhiannon created in the room.
Featured image via Basement Theatre.
