An American female comedian? At an English music festival? And one with
talent? Surely not!
Jovanka Steele arrived on stage with a great deal of energy, judging the crowd
well and getting started by going straight into the audience. She has an
engaging sense of herself as compared to her audience - talking about camera
phones she says "I know all you cool kids have had these for years, but I'm
still excited!" - and much of her routine revolves around herself, nearly all of
it in a self deprecating manner.
Topics include her disbelief in the concept of a fast metabolism ("Surely
that means even in starving African villages there is one big fat guy going
'Gee, I guess I just have a slow metabolism!'"), her own horror at finding she's
growing chin hair, the many and varied problems of owning and bathing cats and
the problems of modern day etiquette as regards the Kiss On The Cheek.
She also showed exactly how to deal with a heckler. Not merely someone who
shouted something out from the audience, but someone who actively got up on the
stage and started dancing around. She showed commendable restraint in not
throwing him bodily out of the tent, and instead waited patiently for the
security guards to show up. A good comedian can turn any situation to their
advantage, and she kept a running commentary going on his progress as he was
lead away.
In short, an American comedian who isn't afraid to make herself the butt of
the jokes, and who can hold an audience's attention even when surrounded by
loud music from all sides. A winner.
Reviewed at Guilfest 2004
