Reviewer: Christine Stanton
Writer: Cova Camblor
Director: Anca Vaida
“Jilted Jokes & Wedding Woes”
3 / 5
Spanish bride-to-be Carmen is ready and waiting for her big day. Beautiful white dress, gorgeous bunch of flowers… slippers on her feet and the priest patiently waiting for the Groom to turn up on the Zoom call. Not the most traditional wedding, but when your future husband is in jail covering for a bank robbery that’s almost definitely your fault, you take what you can get!
Writer and performer Cova Camblor starts the show with some explanation about the unconventional event we’re about to witness. She confesses that although she is about to wed British bachelor Steve Stevens, she’s still wildly in love with an ex who makes her weak at the knees (literally, whenever she says his name). As she weighs up the pros and cons of marrying Steve Stevens, she also reminisces of how she wound up here – her bad decisions, past relationships and bouts of hypochondria that made her gatecrash her doctors family wedding. It’s a short show, naturally silly in nature due to the quirky subject matter, filled with punchlines and jokes. Some are a bit cheesy and have too much of an obvious set up which stops it feeling natural, such as the Spotify scene – others are short, succinct, brilliantly funny yet incredibly subtle – such as her remark about wanting to marry a Prince like Andrew… or not.
Although the show quickly skips through Carmen’s thought process while waiting for her groom to show up online, Camblor’s writing manages to keep the narrative thread surprisingly tidy, with no unnecessary additions or confusing story diversions. Everything is neatly tied up at the end with a very funny, clever little reveal that makes for a satisfying finale. While entertaining, some parts could still use some work – it would be great to get better clarity around the bank robbery and her potential groom, as these feel like areas that could be developed better. Also less repetition is needed on some of the regularly used puns; the over-dramatised reaction every time she says her exes name is used so often, that it quickly loses the originally humorous effect.
Camblor is clearly a natural performer. Her confidence shines through in each scene, and she delivers each joke with good timing to allow for a smooth narrative flow. The unique storyline and brilliant final scene really showcases the potential Camblor has for the future.
Runs Until 5 August 2023
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