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Ozzy Algar: Speed Queen

 
Isabella Thompson Review by Isabella Thompson 4 Published: 12 Aug 2025 Pleasance Courtyard Show Dates: 30 Jul 2025-24 Aug 2025

Speed Queen takes place in the Isle of Wight’s last launderette, where Ozzy Algar, as Pet – an islander in her twilight years – folds laundry, shares gossip and spins half-forgotten histories. It’s an intimate hour of storytelling, opening a door into a world at once specific and universal.

Proof of Algar’s deft hand as both comedian and storyteller

You might enter expecting a straight hour of character comedy, and the laughs, when they arrive, are plentiful: tightly scripted or spun on the spot, they are always sharp and whimsical. Skilfully directed by Tanika Lay-Meachen, Algar is a natural with a punchline, whether it’s a knowing aside or Pet spinning a yarn. Algar is just as compelling in the quieter stretches. Pet’s monologues about local eccentrics, island history and the private lives of neighbours are rooted in character and never lose their grip.

The performance itself is faultless. Algar’s commitment to Pet is unshakeable, with Catherine Tate-level immersion, and her audience work is a masterclass in control. She draws us in with a glance, a pause, a shared smirk – building a relationship that feels unforced but watertight.

Original music by Tom Penn, with Algar’s own lyrics, is woven into the show, featuring smoky, lilting numbers that evoke wartime jazz standards. They transport us to the faded glamour of Pet’s youth as a showgirl, adding layers of romance and melancholy. It’s here the production’s themes settle in: the passage of time, the bittersweet nature of memory, the encroachment of change.

The show may not leave you skipping out of the theatre, but it lingers. Tender, funny and quietly devastating, Speed Queen is proof of Algar’s deft hand as both comedian and storyteller.

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The Blurb:

We are in the Speed Queen, the last launderette on the Isle of Wight! In here, Pet the ancient washerwoman divines the fates of her customers through their dirty laundry, and a story unfolds of an island ill-at-ease. A pitch black comedy that weaves the Isle of Wight’s untold myths and hidden histories with folk horror, original music and razor-sharp characters. Original music composed by Tom Penn, Lyrics by Ozzy Algar.