Little Lark of London

“I don’t like revolving doors and I don’t care who knows it”

Celya AB: Second Rodeo begins with a hilarious bit in which Celya rants about different types of doors, an interesting and unexpected start to a show about adulthood and memory. As someone from France, she used to have more jokes making fun of England, but, according to her, it now feels like bullying and is “too real,” a tragically accurate statement. Now, Celya is reflecting on how when she was a child, she wanted to be an adult, but now that she is an adult, she just wants to be a kid again. In her eyes, each day a version of her younger self is waking up and putting on adult costume, still not a full adult ready to face the world. 

The highlight of Celya AB: Second Rodeo are the quick and witty one-liners spread throughout the show, including a joke about Nosferatu and how it should be Nosferavous (a French joke) and a laugh-out-loud bit about the paradox of strapping buttered toast to the back of a cat, as the cat will always land on its feet and the buttered toast will always land on the side with the butter on it. Celya has a fun habit of just grinning at the audience as they get the joke, taking in the laughs with a smile before moving onto the next bit. One of the funniest parts of the show is a recurring joke in which Celya will bring the microphone stand to the centre of the stage and lean on it before starting a statement with “Do you ever have the feeling . . .,” imitating the “relatable comedian” that she has seemingly become. 

Celya’s crowdwork is kind, with her having the audience saying hello to each person she talks to and then asking them questions. At one point she talks with a French audience member, joking about how won’t go viral on social media because no one would know what the two of them were saying in French. Of course, there is some teasing, but it is all comedic and never feels like a direct attack against audience members. To quote Celya herself, “See, crowdwork doesn’t have to be horrible, Matt Rife!” She has such a love for crowdwork, in fact, that she does it in real life, as proven to the audience by a conversation she has with a young man at the petrol station in one of her many stories. 

But Celya isn’t going to do all of the work for us – the audience is given several homework assignments, including watching the Woodstock ‘99 documentary on Netflix to understand a particular reference she made (she even gives the exact time stamp, 33 minutes in). I have never had a comedian give me homework for after a show, but I’m actually looking forward to watching the documentary!

Along with the one-liners and hilarious stories, Celya also goes into some darker subjects, including a breakdown she had a few years ago that forced her to reflect on her life. She struggles to remember her childhood as learning English has forced some of the memories in French from her mind, leaving her in a state of confusion. One section of the show discusses Celya’s thoughts on therapy and how she hilariously calls therapists “mind butlers” while commenting on how expensive it is these days to see a therapist and take care of your mental health. 

Ultimately, Celya AB: Second Rodeo is a delightful show that manages to remain light even when discussing dark topics, never making the audience uncomfortable and instead allowing them to laugh along with Celya. The ending is an unexpected but brilliant callback that had me howling with laughter – no spoilers, you’ll have to see it for yourself!

Celya AB: Second Rodeo runs from 23 to 27 January at Soho Theatre. Tickets can be purchased here.