Cariad Lloyd prefaced the show with an announcement - her double act partner, Louise Ford, had left Edinburgh in the last few days due to unforeseen circumstances. But the show must go on, and Lloyd covered any gaps in the hour with grace and style. She asked an audience member to read out sections of a self-help book to cover her costume changes in a move that united the audience in make-do spirit and provided big laughs.
Cariad Lloyd is incredibly likeable, absorbing and engaging - always focusing on the audience - more akin to a stand up routine than a sketch that hides behind a fourth wall.
Lloyd presented the audience with a selection of vibrant and original characters in a series of monologues. Each character had a defined personality, helped along by Lloyd's acute ear for accents and voices - each with their own intonations and mannerisms. The characters switched at a keen pace, but Lloyd never faltered in her embodiment of each role in turn.
The show pulls no punches in it’s content - the highlight of the show, the carnivorous character of a sanitary towel disposal bag lady (which has to be seen to be believed) has to be one of the most original and creative things I've seen at the Fringe. Characters like parkour obsessed Jacque Le Coq and Jooey Bechamel (Lloyd's monster-fied image of Zooey Deschanel) are sure fire favourites and sustain the laughs over long monologues through a combination of physical humour and clever writing.
Cariad Lloyd is incredibly likeable, absorbing and engaging - always focusing on the audience - more akin to a stand up routine than a sketch that hides behind a fourth wall. The changes between the characters are a little rough around the edges, but what was presented was a truly brilliant performer who had taken an unexpected difficulty and pulled together an incredibly strong show.
