Review: The Old Strumpet Poet of Brighton, Etcetera Theatre

Jacqueline Lord arrives at the Etcetera Theatre as The Old Strumpet Poet of Brighton, offering an evening of poems, anecdotes and improvised detours that feel as though they could wander on indefinitely, and indeed almost did, until she asked the audience for the time. It’s a one-woman show built on pre-written material, spontaneous tangents and a notebook of poems that she dips in and out of throughout the performance.

It isn’t the poetry that brings the biggest laughs, but the moments when the old strumpet abandons the page and leans fully into storytelling. Her tales of unexpected body hair, late-night chocolate cravings and the small absurdities of everyday life land not because they are shocking, but because they are recognisable. There’s a genuine pleasure in hearing someone articulate experiences you’ve quietly had yourself, the kind of comedy born from empathy rather than punchlines.

The show is billed as a celebration of growing older and embracing age, but much of the material feels more rooted in body-confidence and the relief of acknowledging that the things we consider “abnormal” are, in fact, shared by many. Lord’s audience interactions, asking whether anyone is a “dunker” when discussing the comforts of tea and biscuits, create a friendly, conversational atmosphere. However, the sheer number of these exchanges means the piece overruns by a considerable margin, and the pacing suffers as a result.

Some sections of the pre-existing material are less successful. A story about a tongue-thrusting disorder and an incident involving a frozen bath and a friend’s thigh is more bewildering than humorous, and a lengthy segment about “Sheila”, later revealed to be her vagina, leaves the audience confused until the final explanation. These moments feel under-shaped, as though the ideas haven’t quite found their dramatic or comedic form.

One of the more serious pieces, Ode to My Tit, is a poem about losing her breast to cancer. Lord speaks with candour and resilience, describing how she feels stronger and more herself without it. It’s a striking shift in tone, and one that hints at the emotional depth the show could explore more fully.

She closes with a reflection on ageing, urging us not to fear it, but to laugh at the situations it places us in. It’s a sentiment delivered with sincerity, and her zest for life is undeniably appealing. Yet the piece as a whole doesn’t always land where it aims to. With tighter scripting, clearer thematic focus and a firmer hand on structure, there is potential for this show to become a warm, witty celebration of the bodies we inhabit and the lives we lead.

Written and Performed by Jacqueline Lord

The Old Strumpet Poet of Brighton has finished its run with Camden Fringe, but you can catch it again on Sunday 20 September at 3pm at Etcetera Theatre.