Review: mynameiskatied

mynameiskatied was Footlighter Katie Devey’s debut solo show at the Corpus Playroom, and it proved to be an energetic piece of stand-up comedy, which explored the trifles of student drama, romance, and the embarrassingly un-deletable YouTube content of her childhood channel mynameiskatied, which will always come back to haunt her. This stand-up seeks to answer such farcical questions as, “Is Camel’s Mum a principal role in the Nativity?”, “Why would a young woman develop a fear of katsu curry?” and, “What to do if your little brother asks for cable ties for Christmas?”

A snapshot from rehearsals. Image credits: mynameiskatied Production Team & Facebook

The script’s communication was flawless, well thought-out, and well-developed, with every single joke making an impression, which is impressive for an hour-long solo piece. Katie Devey – the sole performer – was certainly in command of her material, allowing every single joke to land well. The pace of the show never felt too rushed or lethargic and there were moments of true comic genius which had the whole sold-out theatre laughing.

One brilliant moment which comes to mind explored a disastrous two-star review of a play Katie Devey had once acted in, which was set, bizarrely, in an aquarium. It was amazing moments like these – exploring our shared failures in the theatrical world and beyond – which came across as equal parts human and, of course, hilarious. That is just one selected comic moment of the many this great show had to offer, looking at all the trials and tribulations of being a student.

Image credits: director Ella Burns (poster design)

The writing and delivery of this show was consistently absorbing, some parts even truly engrossing, and the material could not have been better organised. There were an impressive array of writers behind it all: Katie Devey, Martha French, Maia von Malaisé, Karisma Drage, Jade Franks, Eleanor Fenton, Dulcie Whadcock and Rowan Hand. Director Ella Burns must also be credited for her fantastic organisation, which made it feel as if the hour-long duration of the show had flown by.

The choice to weave together the past YouTube uploads from the mynameiskatied channel with the main comic narrative of the script functioned effectively, creating a creatively and comedically cohesive show. This weaving in-between was refreshing, ensuring varied levels of humour and preventing any risk of comedic burnout. In other words, the audiences’ laughter did not threaten to die down towards the end of the show.

A note must also be made on the impressive use of sound (Annie Chown) and lighting (Rory Clarke) during one episode – a (very unnecessary, yet all the more hilarious) ambulance trip from the past for self-induced hickeys. Furthermore, the sparse and minimalist set-design of the show, containing only a handful of props, matched the comedic style pursued effectively.

All involved – from writing, to production, to Katie herself for her stellar performance – should be proud of this impressive one-night-only solo show, which makes it a shame it only ran for that one night. You’ll be kicking yourself if you missed it!

4/5

‘mynameiskatied’ was on for one night at the Corpus Playroom on Monday 17^th January 2022 – you can find the show’s Camdram page here.

Feature image credits: mynameiskatied Production Team (Ella Burns)