Nikki Britton. Gluttony, The SpiegelZelt. 4 Mar 2018
She’s strident. She’s vulgar. She’s not everyone’s Grandma. In fact, she may not be anyone’s Grandma. Comedian Nikki Britton comes up with the gloriously funny concept of her character having been named “Grandma” at birth. Immediately, the imagination is sparked and one’s internal chuckles take on a life of their own.
Britton is a professional comedian and she knows her genres. There is nothing alternative or have-a-go Fringey about her act. She has a well-honed skill set and a well-conceived scenario to both amuse and inspire children.
After a bit of fairly ferocious old-fart farting around and once the world’s biggest communal fart has been wafted from a tittering tent, Grandma hits the deaf-old-lady shtick as she asks the kids their names. She pushes this routine as far as it can go and it just gets funnier. By default, she assigns names to hapless kids: Mushroom, Toiletpaper.
She engages young and old throughout the show. Most importantly, she plays on the positive theme of realising one’s hopes and dreams. To this end, she brings kids onstage whence, invisibly, she has a tech with art skills who draws career environments on the big white screen behind each kid: a veterinary room, a stage, a lawyer’s office. It is charming, clever and generous-spirited.
There’s plenty more to the show, including a messy cooking segment and a science experiment.
The kids love it all. And, when an FA/18 Hornet screams an overhead flyover, Britton shows there are no flies on her by nicely wrapping the din up into a bit of timely improv.
May Grandma never grow up but come back for more Fringes.
Samela Harris
4.5 stars
When: 4 to 12 Mar
Where: Gluttony, The SpiegelZelt
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
