Having been ushered onto the top deck of a bus, itself a surreal beginning to a show experience, I was unsure what to expect from 'Stand Up, Woman.' Perhaps naively audiences may expect, from the name, a stand up performance and whilst the Sam Foxton's monologue/ rant is indeed comedic it cannot be considered stand up.
Instead we encounter Sam on the self professed 'worst day of her life' which begins and ends with her being stood up (now we understand the mildly ambiguous title) by her so called best friend. The first ten minutes comprise a vicious tirade against Ange, who we encounter in all her phoney American glory through Foxton's imitations. Such sections provoke a buzz of amusement from my fellow bus passengers and Foxton appears buoyed by the response.
Similarly positive reactions are provoked by the early rant about smartphones and the complexity of making a simple phone call, which prompts knowing nods and smiles from audience members. Such content which forms a primary basis of the show gives an impression of 'Grumpy Old Women' style complaint, something which is popular with its audience but unlikely to win awards for originality.
Add to this the expected self-depreciating man-rant of a one-woman show and I end up leaving the bus at the end of the hour feeling I have seen all this somewhere before. Much more could have been made of such a unique venue, adding some much needed interest to what appeared an over-rehearsed and unnatural performance.
Having said this, the narrative of the show certainly swept away audience members with smiles and looks of amusement frequent on the bus. Audience interaction was also a nice touch with one woman playing the part of a Costbucks (so as to avoid advertisement) employee and another reading out a text from the virulent Ange.
Though far from revolutionary this show is comforting and amusing. A one-off chance to wile away an hour on the top deck of a bus, watching a woman dressed as Britney Spears dance to 'Row, row, row your boat,' 'Stand Up, Woman' is a good way to spend an afternoon if you find yourself stood up.
