Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
Fri 1 + Sat 2 Sept
Essentially a tightened, reworked version of her sell-out performance during the Cardiff Comedy Festival in 2016, Carri Munn returns to present once again her stand-up show Cardiff Minger Of The World. By the very nature of the performance’s title, and being seemingly based around her reaction to being mistaken for Stephen Fry in drag, the show is fuelled by a clear streak of self-deprecating humour. The description of the show displays a zany style filled with cultural references, Munn’s previous performing experience alongside La La La Productions and during last September’s Roald Dahl’s City Of The Unexpected event displaying her reverence for this kind of absurdist humour.
With a clear political side to her personal life, this political edge is seemingly devoid from her new show. Similarly, it waits to be seen whether her strong sense of Welsh pride rubs off on the performance. With imagery of Munn online filled with her in colourful costumes and pulling silly faces, this could either result in a gleeful childlike abandon, or merely an overzealous attempt to forcefully capture a kooky nature to the proceedings. Indeed, the description for the performance is rather slim and nonsensical, and this seeming lack of structure, aim or purpose could potentially damage the finished product.
Munn has a lengthy background in theatre, having directed pieces with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and led a workshop with Theatre Iolo in using drama exercises as a therapeutic support tool in schools. She is also collaborating on this piece, with Cardiff Minger Of The World being co-written by Geraint D’Arcy. With her level of experience in theatre, hopefully these skills will translate well into a more unique stand-up performance laced with theatre techniques and filled with physicality, energy, and kineticism. With her 2016 show having included a tour of body parts and a physical replication of human activity from morning until night, this physical sense of fun to her performance could well be the case.
Tickets: £8-£10. Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org
words EDWARD LEE