Nikki Britton writes and stars in a Romanticide. Image via Perth FringeWorld 2017.
Nikki Britton says she is unlucky in love which forms the basis of ‘Romanticide’ but perhaps she also got a bit unlucky in her venue pick for FringeWorld 2017 – she performs in what seems suspiciously like a lecture room at the Perth Library. Don’t let this put you off as Sydney based Britton is a natural comic and her very funny physical incarnations of weird situations will long stay in your mind. Next time she comes to Perth it will surely be at a much bigger venue, so catch her while you can.
Trained at Sydney’s ACA as an actor and L’ecole Philippe Gaulier as a clown, she spent two years touring the one woman play 51 Shades of Maggie Muff across Australia. She has written and performed solo comedy shows Abdicating Adulthood and The Other 3 Percent and has been invited to tour with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow not to mention making her debut at LA’s The Laugh Factory since starting her stand-up comedy career in 2011.
Making fun of her own intensity towards love and couching its distance through references to Disney and mermaids, princesses, witchy parts (kleptomania gets a look in – great writing here!) but at times getting uncomfortably close to the harsh reality of contemporary dating and being rejected. Nikki Britton brings an intelligent nuanced approach to this problematic area of life that makes it different to other comedic rants about being ‘hopeless in love’.
Britton energetically works a gamut of situations from weddings to shops but her embodiment of medical treatment of a ganglion stands out as simply hilarious. Her well thought out take on ‘There’s a hole in my bucket dear Liza’ really underscores a new understanding of female angst in response to a stupid husband. Also revealing that this is based on a German folk poem circa 1700 – which doesn’t often make an appearance in comedy shows! Her timing was not quite right with her more serious moments in this piece, but with practise that will improve. More of this unique style humour rather than “I’m single on Sunday ordering take out but pretending to have someone in the back room” is much appreciated.
Her range of skills is much broader than many a comedian – male or female – with excellent character acting and amazing accents from South American to Irish and Russian as well as her kinetic crazy physical humour. She uses the f word quite often (…feminist) but is wryly affectionate towards the male gender’s foibles including the infamous dick pics. There is a whole riff on this which is laugh out loud funny, and some of the blokes in the audience were laughing the loudest, especially at ‘only the best dicks come to my show’! and certainly puts a new spin on the ending of a show – which I won’t spoil for you!!! She re-balances the endless array of male comedians focusing on body parts in an affectionately funny way that brings her audience – both male and female – along with her.
Cleverly using audience stories to round out her show’s narrative, she professionally adapted to the small audience present on Valentine’s Day without overcooking it, but try and get there before she finishes up on the 18th February with Melbourne and Sydney audiences having a chance later this year to see this show. You too can get the in-joke on your inner dove and pigeon! Seriously funny with a good dose of intelligent writing, Nikki Britton is a force to be reckoned with.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Romanticide
Performed and written by Nikki Britton
City of Perth Library, Cathedral Square, Hay Street, FringeWorld 2017 at 9.45pm. 13th – 18th February 2017. Melbourne Ladies Lounge – Forum Theatre 30th March – 23rd April at 8.30pm. Sydney The Factory Theatre 3rd – 7th May at 8.15pm.
