Even if you haven’t heard of Vikki Stone, you may still have heard the anecdote about a loving fan sending their knickers in the post to Phillip Schofield and writing and performing a song on the piano for him. Said fan and performer is Miss Stone. Stone is crude and quirky and can also sing and play piano astoundingly well.
However one trouble with her set is that it lacks a certain degree of confidence. Stone could have been bolder. She made a few jokes about how we would have to brace ourselves for her zaniness, but it often felt like we were being told that she was a bit bonkers rather than seeing it for ourselves. Perhaps it would have been better to have been shown rather than simply informed about it. Though she did strip off at one point for a ‘dance break’ and she did also ride a llama across the stage on a skateboard, still there were several moments where Stone did not seem completely at ease on stage.
It also often felt more like cabaret than stand-up, more light and chatty than witty or clever. Whilst Stone is easy to listen to, there was a lack of real substance to her material. There were songs that were more like confessions than jokes, and some of them went on for longer than was necessary. A song about her fear of long words dragged and though the song about her boyfriend was quite sweet it was, unfortunately, not particularly funny.
Having said this, it is easy to see why some people would love Stone. She is talented, bubbly and very likeable. The set was also well-structured with recurring motifs that were well-timed, and the show contains some of the best guest appearances, audience participation and prop use I’ve seen. Blending fun observational comedy about her findings in public parks and her musings on music-related reality TV, Stone certainly had the audience tittering - at the very least - throughout. So, if you’re looking for an early evening bout of light-hearted musical fun, give Stone a go.
