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A deeply personal hour of comedy about a complex subject matter, Hole is an extremely impressive debut from this musical comedian.Summary
Rating
Excellent
A debut hour from a comedian can often be something of a hodgepodge of jokes on a number of different subjects, the comic often trying to fit in as many of the gags which got the big laughs while they were first starting out. I truly don’t blame them either, sixty minutes is a long period of time to sustain the audience’s attention and consistently provoke laughter, but it often means that while funny a first show may not be particularly satisfying or thought provoking.
Yet given the confidence Holly Spillar shows in Hole you could easily imagine that this was the fifth or sixth show she’s created, that she’s a consummate old hand at crafting comedy. This is largely because it depends on a high energy performance which leaps from song to stand up and a number of changes in perspective, all of which Spillar pulls off so effectively that from the very beginning it’s made clear that you’re in the presence of an artist who knows exactly what they’re doing, where they’re taking us, and how to control the room.
Spillar’s show is solely devoted to the fact that she suffers from vaginismus and how when she went to university she hoped it was something she might be able overcome, that she would meet partners who were understanding and considerate. Sadly the opposite applied and her descriptions of the actions of some of the men she wished to sleep with are bleakly appalling. Yet Spillar manages to generate big laughs while making it clear how horrendous the misogyny she had to contend with was.
Packed with beautifully sung songs, this is another aspect that could go horribly wrong in the hands of a less talented individual, given that no musical instruments are used and only an effects peddle helps create the soundtrack to the show. I’ve seen this done before but never so spectacularly. It’s apparent that an enormous amount of time has clearly gone in to each and every track as Spillar maximises either the insanity of her situation or delivers a withering line about those she interacted with.
At this point I’m very wary of commenting further on the narrative of the performance, as with a lot of hour long shows that tell a very specific story part of the pleasure is witnessing their unpredictable nature. But there isn’t a misjudged or misguided moment throughout the entire sixty minutes, and that’s something which is incredibly rare with a debut hour. Where lesser comedians might go for easier laughs, Spillar avoids this, producing an extremely smart, self-aware and beautifully constructed piece of comedy.
A Brightmouth Production
Written and performed by Holly Spillar
Holly Spillar has finished their run at the Soho Theatre.
