Venue: The Hawth, Crawley
Date of show: 4th February 2006
Rebecca Carrington is a comedian of a different breed. Not your standard
run-of-the-mill stand-up who waxes relentlessly about life's little foibles and
inconsistencies into a microphone. For starters, she enters the stand-up
subcategory of 'comedian with an instrument' but again this isn't an act that
just parodies popular tunes on a guitar or sings a funny song. Carrington comes
to the stage with an education that extends further than just the school of life
or busking in Covent Garden for she is a classically trained cellist. This
should not come as much of a surprise as her show is entitled Me And My
Cello.
Having studied at The Royal Northern College of Music then completing her
Masters of Music at Rice University in Houston, USA she went on to perform with
orchestras such as the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic,
Philharmonia and the BBC Symphony. It was while she was in the US that
Carrington first tried her hand at the comedy circuit and performed her cabaret
style act at various clubs then won the Mastercard Talent Search and
got showcased on NBC and CBS. Her current show was a sell-out at the 2004
Edinburgh Fringe.
Again I feel the need to set Carrington aside from her contemporaries because
many acts who wield guitars tend to use them as a means to extend their set;
quite often those acts that lack the oral stamina or verve and rely on their
instrument to save them. Carrington's cello is more than just a comedy prop but
an integral part of her act. They are, for all accounts, a double act with 'Joe'
(yes, it has a name) playing the silent straight man.
Me And My Cello is an account of their life together and how the got
where they are today from the classics to comedy. She mixes all veins of comedy
throughout the act: innuendo, observation, self-referential, impressionism,
parody and so forth displaying a natural versatility in the comedic art that
keeps the material fresh and, at most points, unpredictable. Then, appropriately
placed in each chapter is an exceptional interlude of varying musical
styles.
As Carrington accounts their journey from country to country trying to find
their place in the musical World so does Joe. They depict their unsatisfying
contribution to standard orchestras and small groups which forces their search
and then is able to manipulate Joe's abilities to fit with native instruments
(even the bagpipes at one point) and musical styles. Amongst them are French
jazz, Bulgarian folk, Flamenco, Blues and more as they travel across Europe,
Asia, India and America. With each stop she delivers a humorous dialogue and
cultural rendition before the 'proper' celebration of that nation's musical
heritage with Joe and her astonishing vocal talents.
Carrington is an all-round class act who manages to perfectly mix highbrow
and popular culture into an engaging and funny show. She truly deserves the
accolade of, 'Victor Borge of the 21st Century.'
Visit http://www.rebeccacarrington.co.uk/
for her current tour dates.
