The majority of us can probably admit to turning to Google to answer life’s more trivial questions from time to time. This is exactly what Yvette May found herself doing when she came to the realisation that although happiness is a seemingly uncomplicated emotion, very few of the people around her had managed to find it.
A lot of it rings true, and you’ll find yourself both grinning and sighing over how relatable the show is
Upon entry, audience members are called on to write down something that makes them happy, giving us a chance to start to think about what happiness really means before taking us through the steps to achieving it. The step themselves are completely real, and we are shown Yvette’s reaction, approach and response to them, which range from personal stories, impersonations of irritating Facebook braggers and interpretive dance.
Audience interaction was used well in the perfect places, adding to the hilarity of the show as we were able to witness an initial meeting and first date between Yvette and an audience member, Yvette comically bouncing off the audience’s responses with ease. Even during moments that would normally be a little boring - like when getting changed, moving around the set or even eating a burger - she does an outstanding job of keeping the audience’s attention on her and making them laugh.
But aside from its playfulness, there are some necessary sobering moments throughout the show, such as when Yvette is reading her old diary where we are given an insight into how much we need to overcome and unfortunately withstand in order to try and be happy. Some of the steps seem to be more about her own journey to happiness as opposed to everyone else’s, notably when demonstrating vulnerability through sending an apology text to a friend we learn nothing about, which only adds to the raw authenticity of the performance.
Ultimately, the show may be light hearted and hilarious, but it’s also heartachingly relevant in places, put down to Yvette’s stark honesty. A lot of it rings true, and you’ll find yourself both grinning and sighing over how relatable the show is as Yvette guides you through the intrinsically significant question of happiness and how to obtain it.
