Gabby Killick acts out a very particular idea of modern women. As she takes the audience through her odyssey of partying, ex-boyfriends and cat flaps, she leaves nothing off the table. The audience will be laughing along for most of this outlandish set, delivered with drama and spirit by a talented comedian.
Killick’s unpredictability brings forth lots of great moments that you won’t see coming. Yet all the while you realise that the kind of person Killick is describing plays on preconceptions of party-hard women and crazy ex-girlfriends that many have become used to over the years. Female audience members especially are in fits, cracking up at Killick’s stories that clearly hit a little close to home. These accounts of wild nights and riled fights strike a chord without seeming everyday, remaining just incredible enough to be worth hearing. With Killick’s dramatic and electric delivery, her show can be sensationally funny.
A part of the show is a look at social media, although you might wish this reflective element appeared throughout the show rather than largely being left until the end. Her characterisation of apps also draws laughs but can occasionally draw a muted response. Her onstage persona wins you over eventually, but in the beginning Killick plays that kind of carefree, party hard-wonder woman who you love to hate. This is all part of the show, mind you, and things change substantially by the end. Regardless, how much you get from Girlfriend From Hell depends heavily on how funny you find the experiences being described and the personas that Killick adopts.
This is nonetheless a show worthy of an audience, blessed with charisma and substance. There are interesting insights at the end about online addiction and mental pressures, the internet casting a shadow over the whole show in some form or another. Laugh are guaranteed throughout this generational fable, and integrating the core message more clearly throughout the show will yield exciting results that are worthy of repeat viewing.