A tiny disclaimer for you: appalling is the buzzword for this show, however the lady who bats it about is pretty nice, really. The atrocities in question are mostly sexual endeavours, of which we don't go into too much detail despite her declaration at the offset that she's a girl who likes to get to the nitty gritty. If you were expecting whips, chains and criminal records, you may be disappointed by this news. However the title gives the show a very fun and variable subject on which to tear off on some hilarious and often completely unrelated topics.
The front row is cause for many of Smallman's digressions, but her easy manner allows for lots of fun to be had in this way. One poor man was time and again the centre of laughs for being so startled- proof that at least some of the more conservative might find her truly appalling.
Smallman delivers some poignant messages to us through the medium of song; a few brashly written pieces on her guitar on all the most important topics in life like love, unsavoury love, snogging taxi drivers and being painfully middle class (the lyrics of which are pretty bang-on, I might add). We are even treated to a spot of spoken word, the hip and modern way to rant.
The material sticks mostly to the glories of lying, dating, single life and being self employed, moving out and getting men. The stories are sometimes appalling, but unfortunately the punchlines are often missed because of their delivery, in or out of song mode. We also get the slight but persistent feeling we are being measured up; perhaps we did not measure up to the most terrifying of Smallman’s escapades?
Basing an entire show around appalling things is setting up for quite a big shocker, but this is hearty stand up comedy which delivers good honest laughs.
