Well-executed character comedy, even if it’s not quite pushing the form just yet.Rating
Good
This show is everything you would imagine of character comedy: one performer, three big cartoonish personas, bumping music, and huge stage presence. But it is also exactly what you would expect from character comedy. A Berghain-born German party fiend, Häns Off; an Aussie wellness guru, The Divine Karen Moonstone; and best man and stag expert Steve Porter are all solid creations, but they tread familiar territory across both amateur and professional live performance circuits. From the outset, it’s clear what kind of night this will be: energetic, club-style entertainment – and it delivers exactly that.
We’re greeted with club anthems and projected videos of Häns Off twirling around, laying down the “party rules”. It’s mesmerising, and that sense of spectacle carries through the whole show. The performance is incredibly smooth – high-energy yet controlled. What stands out most is Daisy Doris May’s agility and dance ability; the show remains highly watchable thanks to its immaculate execution. She is the life and soul of this big night out – someone who could enliven even the bleakest club. The audience are invited to dance and, notably, they’re very willing.
The transitions are slick, with strong use of video. With vibrant colours and elastic energy, as Häns Off finally makes it into the club, Aussie wellness guru Karen tumbles out; it’s a neat overlap, and the idea that these characters coexist within the same chaotic nightlife ecosystem works well. In the next transition, set in a shop, Karen gives way to a stylish geezer buying mince, cheese, and “tit sticks” – sadly unavailable, though the cheese makes a callback cameo in Porter’s knowingly ‘cheesy’ best man’s speech. The structure flows as fluidly as Doris May herself.
She’s also joined by her “party pouch” – her baby bump – which adds another layer to the feat. While most pregnant performers might be taking it easy, she’s hurtling around the Soho Theatre stage at full throttle on a Saturday night. She’s an absolute powerhouse, undeniably made for performance.
The script, however, feels a little thin in terms of joke density and observational sharpness. While there is nuance – particularly in the way she plays with intonation and phrasing, most notably in Porter’s half-spoken, half-sung remixing of his own words – much of the comedy leans heavily on recognisability. And not just of real people, but of comedy characters we’ve already seen. Häns, for instance, recalls Sacha Baron Cohen’s Brüno, while Porter’s “southwest London but actually from Guildford” DJ feels pulled from a well-worn archetype. The Australian wellness guru is something I have even seen recently on the open mic circuit. There is, of course, space for new takes on established types, but what’s missing is a sharper sense of what makes these versions distinct.
Despite this, a unique comic tension emerges between the professional command of Doris May herself and a large cast of unsuspecting audience members, plucked from the crowd to play bouncers, grooms, and stag party guests, among others. She handles them with total control, positioning them almost like props – plastic dolls arranged at will to play out her scenes. The contrast between her prowess and their awkwardness is brilliant. There’s a clear link to her online work here too, where she approaches members of the public in character.
If you go to see this show, you’ll have a great time – it’s slick, high-energy, and confidently performed. It may not be the show you’re still talking about years down the line, but as a piece of well-executed character comedy, it absolutely delivers, even if it’s not quite pushing the form just yet.
Written and performed by Daisy Doris May
Daisy Doris May: Big Night Out has completed its current run.
