Given this show sold out at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, I begin to wonder – as I join the throng slowly winding our way down the staircase to the Fortune Theatre’s studio space – if I should have better anticipated the response. Greeted by a traffic jam at the theatre entrance, I count my lucky stars as I manage to find one of the few remaining seats and settle myself into my front row centre position. Clearly this kind of turn-out was expected, with cushions supplied for those who are left with no choice but to sit on the floor and up the aisles. The Fortune Studio is bulging at the seams as Louise Beuvink enters to enthusiastic applause.

I’m hit by a wave of dread as she explains that the show is an interactive one; perhaps this is why no one had dared take the seat I’m currently occupying. But the terror subsides when she launches into her routine and I begin to understand that, save for a cost-cutting cookery class with a helpful (and brave) volunteer, the interaction is mostly conversational, inviting the audience into her world to build rapport.

Beuvink’s tongue-in-cheek jabs at the norms of yesteryear go down a treat, as she pokes fun at a woman’s ‘need’ to tie down a husband, uphold nigh-impossible beauty standards and host a successful dinner party on a budget, all the while backhandedly drawing attention to the absurdity and hypocrisy of it all.

As a counterpoint, Beuvink goes on to share a selection of her ‘less ladylike’ stories, which mostly stem from the merits and pitfalls of alcohol consumption. From the sad, uncertain fate of a coffee mug to the heights of joy achievable by taking just a spoonful of liquor, the audience is taken on a whimsical journey of satirical feminism.

Despite not finding myself in the throes of breathless laughter like the rest of the audience, I still greatly enjoy the material Beuvink covers. Furthermore, her comic timing is split-second precise, with a clear understanding of how delivery is just as vital as content. This is most evident in her improvised audience interactions: When one patron manages to splutter “Too much detail” between bursts of laughter – a response to the aforementioned coffee mug – Beuvink retorts after a perfectly pregnant pause, “Just you wait!”

It’s all the little gems like that which make the show for me, and why I will be keeping my eyes peeled for her next Dunedin performance. In the meantime, don’t miss you chance to see this one! 

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From the moment Louise Beuvink steps onstage in her lady-like ensemble, she easily and warmly commands the room. She is equally down to earth and effervescent – a natural story-teller. Whether recounting her teenage emo phase, slipping in references to pay disparity (politely of course!), or critiquing the chorus from a One Direction song, we are hooked.

Her ‘how to’ guide for glamourous looking nibbles on the cheap is one of the highlights. At this point, the ‘goon bag’ (boxed wine) comes into its own, and the ingredients for pate might be edible but that is the only redeeming feature.

In order to teach us a bit about Cricket, Beuvink uses a projector and the images illustrate the points she makes. The images and jokes are fast paced and hit the target, and Beuvink knows how to read her audience.

If we are momentarily silent (with open-mouthed wonder), she does not appear to be flustered. As with the beautiful and hilarious re-working of a song from Mary Poppins, she understands that timing is everything and a silent space makes the punch lines land with greater impact. 

I have a smile and laughter cramped face, and my heart is light.  Book your tickets before she is completely sold out. 

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