Rose Matafeo certainly makes an entrance. Her new show On and On and On kicks off with a dance routine which reveals that the creator of acclaimed BBC comedy Starstruck is not just a first-class stand-up, she has the skills to pay the bills in other artistic areas too. Maybe this is a subtle audition for Strictly.
The high energy shape-throwing quickly makes way for an even more volcanic zinger-filled set. Her first full-length show since winning the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2018 finds the corkscrew-haired Kiwi on sublime form covering subjects ranging from love and loneliness as a millennial to the world domination of Taylor Swift.
Matafeo is 32 and taking stock of her life, deciding who she is and what she likes and, more comedically, what she doesn't like. Which in particular is people who write in notebooks in public. If she ruled the world you would have to have a licence to use a Moleskine outside your home (this reviewer has never secreted his pen and pad so fast).
Having written extensively about the complexities of modern romance in Starstruck, she addresses it again here from a more candid, personal perspective. She is not averse to writing notes herself, except that she does it on her smartphone. When she decided to print her thoughts out, however, she was horrified by the volume. Pages are strewn across the stage to indicate how prolific she has been.
Her troubled search for love is the main motif here, as she recalls various awkward break-ups. One was on the phone, one was on a trampoline ("not bouncing"). One with a posh man at least left her with pages of material about English manners. So what next? Is she destined to make the same mistakes forever?
In an effort to make sense of her rollercoaster relationship history she recalls trying online therapy. Maybe she could finally work out if her desire to be cool has been a cause of past splits. Her account of their sessions offers plenty of laughs and boasts an exquisite pay-off, even if it doesn't offer her a solution.
It is hard to say how honest this show is, but it feels like there is a sizeable chunk of truth here with a garnish of self-deprecating comedic embellishment. It clearly struck a few relatable chords with the audience. It helps to that Matafeo is an instantly engaging stage presence, a whipsmart whirlwind talking fast enough to break the land speed record.
Will she ever find lasting happiness now that she has left her 20s behind? Maybe her next show will offer a positive update. In the meantime On and On and On might major on her romantic flops, but as a comedy show it is a bracingly funny success.
