The Worst Little Warehouse in London, Lala Barlow and Robbie Smith
Joe C Brown and The Butterfly Club
29 March
The Butterfly Club
to 31 March
comedyfestival.com.au
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| Lala Barlow, Robbie Smith |
Couple Lala Barlow and Robbie Smith left Melbourne in 2016 to live in London. Maybe they'd be discovered and perform on the West End, maybe they'd get a tiny room in a converted share warehouse and live with people far more fascinating than anything on the West End. And write a cabaret musical about it.
Lucky for us they went with option two.
The Worst Little Warehouse in London was loved in Edinburgh and Adelaide fringes. And rightly so; it's an absolute joy. Sure they use some Aussies-in-the-UK cliches but their original approach makes even a joke about London rain feel fresh.
With a keyboard centre stage and the ideal amount of props to represent each housemate, Lala and Robbie combine famous musicals music (try and name them all!) and original material to take us into the warehouse with them and their new bathroom baskets.
The story is more character than narrative, which is exactly what it should be. Each of the 12 housemates is created with the kind of love that overcomes the most terrifying of housemate behaviour, be it the poo that covers the bathroom, using up all the internet by streaming a sex show, or writing performance poetry. And it's hard not to love them too, as we are always laughing with and not at them. Ok, mostly laughing with them.
The keyboard looks awkward at first but it quickly becomes the third player on stage as they play it together, dance with it and let it be as versatile as a share-house carton of beer. Their transitions between housemates are seemlessly clumsy and the choreography to have all 12 housemates on stage at once has to be seen. And there's space to ad lib and talk to the audience; it's their story after all.
The Worst Little Warehouse in London only has a short run at MICF. They are sold out tonight, but there are seats for the last show tomorrow (Sunday).
I'm sure it will be back, but it'd be wonderful to see their last show sold out as well.
And hand around for the next show in the space: Onstage Dating – which should also be sold out.
