Jayde Adams truly knows how to get the crowd going. Starting her performance with what could only have been improvised jokes with the front row, the Glee Club was buzzing with giggles from the get-go. She did a fantastic job of setting the scene and showed camaraderie when introducing her supporting act, getting the crowd riled up and excited to warmly welcome her guest comedian.
From just over the bridge, the Bristolian has a closeness with Cardiff that surprised most of the audience at Glee when we discovered she lived in Cardiff for 10 years. The connection could be felt. Flicking between her thick and sharp Bristolian accent to her impersonation of the Welsh accent, she had the crowd roaring.
Quick-witted with punchy delivery, Adams kept the jokes coming before you had a chance to laugh off the previous. With a satirical edge, she commented on reality television stars, the Kardashians, pop princesses, Little Mix and of her own social media clashes with diehard fans of the latter group. The use of visuals to give backstory to her jokes helped to keep the audience hooked, too. Not afraid to laugh at herself when technical difficulties occurred, the comedian showed showmanship, improvisation and quick wit.
The show was hilariously educational. After commenting on Beyoncé’s latest performance in aid of feminism (and the irony of it), Adams deemed it necessary to give the audience a brief history lesson on feminism – in case there was anyone as ill-understood on the matter as she had been, prior to her becoming a “Successful Independent Woman Person”.
Critique of, and eye for, celebrities who have in the past sported the “Serious Black Jumper” had the crowd in hysterics. Jayde Adams can make the average audience member feel proud to be ‘normal’, shining a light on the pretentiousness of showbusiness and stardom. A cheek-achingly funny, unforeseeably educational, surprisingly thought-provoking and undoubtedly hilarious performance.
Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Sun 17 Oct
words YASMIN GRANT