Lucy Porter welcomes us in her own friendly, bubbly style for an hour of giggles, guffaws and belly laughs. Her comedy is inoffensive, cleverly written and is a joy for the whole hour.
Approximately one third of women in the UK were in Brownies (the second youngest section of Guiding) and Porter is no exception, now her children have joined Beavers (the youngest section of Scouting) she has been reminiscing about her well spent youth. Where once her Brownie Pocket contained all she needed with just string and a 10p piece for the phone, now her handbag is a treasure trove of so many things that might, one day, be useful.
Porter has decided the problem with adulthood is that there are no longer badges, no external validation, and she decides to rectify this with some homemade badges, Brown Owl (a Brownie Leader) would have been proud of. And honestly who wouldn’t be more motivated to eat healthily or actually read the terms and conditions if there was a badge for it!
There’s no need to have been involved in Guiding or Scouting movements to enjoy this show, everything you need to know is explained. There is the inevitable innuendo about Beaver Parades and the best Brexit metaphor of the Fringe. For those of us who were or still are members of Guiding and Scouting it’s pleasingly well researched with plenty of recognisable moments – the description of Bear Grylls (UK Chief Scout) as a hedge-fund manager who lives in a hedge is too perfect, and many will remember their hostess badge primarily involving making a cup of tea for an old person (whether they wanted one or not).
Be Prepared is about growing up, being prepared for what life throws at you and some of the ridiculous things life does indeed lob Lucy’s way. Bringing her warm and friendly style to the show, it’s easy to see that her Brown Owl hit the nail on the head when she told the young Lucy her skill was being cheerful! This show made me laugh, made me cheer and even made me shed a tear.