Parisian comic Celya AB is back at Fringe with her sophomore show ‘Second Rodeo’, and shows us what life in our ’20s looks like through the odd and amusing workings of her mind.
AB raises up the audience’s energy and delivers a laugh before even entering the stage. That high energy carries on through the first half of the show. Though we may have had hints of her comedic style through AB’s appearance on podcasts such as The Guilty Feminist, we cannot be prepared for the full hour-long set. Her observational style is at another level altogether. She presents everyday objects and experiences after filtering them through her unique perspective. AB accomplishes this through such sharp writing that it’ll make you think you’ve always held that opinion too. Her comedy also reaches the absurd – framed as personal experiences – and you’re happy to go along with her tales. And there is no expecting the hilarious sequence that can only be described as a mime of a bus driver at a driver-change hotspot. To be so confident to rely purely on physical comedy for a few minutes on stage – that is no mean feat.
The back-to-back laughs recede in the second half, though it’s still amusing and has us nodding along. The connections between the chosen topics become slightly erratic, and we’re pulled out of the experience at several points due to her referring to her notes through the show. If it’s nerves, she hides it well. She even acknowledges her note referral but perhaps will ease into her routine more as the festival progresses. A singular, exciting voice at the Fringe.
‘Second Rodeo’ runs until Sun 27 Aug 2023 at Pleasance Courtyard at 19:30