As everyone makes their way to get seated, we are greeted by Donna Brookbanks herself, stooped over a spinning wheel. This unexpected visual of someone working an ancient machine is a pretty clever metaphor of the quirky yarns that are about to be spun.
Cat-Lady-in-Waiting is an amusing and vivacious monologue centered around Brookbanks’ various struggles and insecurities as a single woman in her 30s. As the show title would indicate, she likens her idiosyncrasies to the usual clichéd hallmarks of a crazy cat lady.
While Brookbanks’ material has solid entertainment value, it is her unashamed social awkwardness that is the comedic pulse of this show. In addition the physical comedy which she incorporates through use of comic facial expressions and animated delivery add another humorous element to the narrative.
The show runs a bit short but it doesn’t feel that way as we get to know a lot about Brookbanks, including her sassy inner voice and Cat Stevens her cat. She also discloses that she’s bad with remembering names, she treats children in the same way she does her cat and she takes advice from her nana on how to catch a man – all of which garner laughs easily.
Whether you’re a crazy cat lady or you want to see a crazy cat lady in the making, Cat-Lady-in-Waiting is a bit silly, delightfully awkward and endearingly relatable. The only thing it lacks is more stories about her cat.
Donna Brookbanks is performing at the Basement Theatre until 13th May. For more details and to book tickets, click here.
comedy | theatre | live entertainment | performing arts 