Claudia O’Doherty’s recent move to London has been the inspiration for a series of Comedy Blaps for Channel Four, where the winsome heroine searches to find the answer to the question ‘What is England?’ O’Doherty’s show ‘Pioneer’ continues this self-exploration as it heads to the Soho Theatre after a successful Edinburgh run
O’Doherty’s two previous shows have covered esoteric subject matter, with 2011’s show being built around the potential for a 26 episode long TV series about soil erosion. ‘Pioneer’ centres around the story of O’Doherty’s own emigration to this side of the pond, her desire for fame, and is a vehicle for the investigation of an alter ego whose breath-taking self-absorption is as large as the two screens that O’Doherty performs on, in front of or with at various stages of the show.
The technical wizardry, ostensibly sponsored by tech giants ‘Pioneer’ (from which the show gets its title) is truly ground-breaking – allowing the projection of holograms of various versions of ‘Claudia’ from the past or the future to act as chorus to justify O’Doherty’s life choices. They also assess her ‘triple threat’ skills as an actor, comedian and singer which she demonstrates through some truly impressive accents, impressions, and inept singing, of course, about herself and her upbringing in a Sydney suburb.
At its heart, despite all the impressive technological wizardry, this is character comedy at its best. O’Doherty’s alter ego’s self-delusion is oddly charming, and the show’s conclusion bursts her bubble cleverly, leaving the audience unsure of whether what they’ve just seen is 100% true, or part of an elaborate ruse designed to elicit sympathy and/or cash.
This seems to be where the heart of the humour lies – in the audience’s inability to know just how much of ‘Claudia’s’ story is real and how much is a joke. It is in this tension that some of the greatest laughs are found, and it’s a testament to the strength of O’Doherty as a performer that she doesn’t ever break this character, which is only an extension of herself. Basing a show solely around herself could have seemed self-indulgent or hollow, but this lack of ‘theme’ allows for a deeper exploration of the ‘Claudia’ character that has been examined in her previous shows.
Like a sci-fi version of one woman play by the most delusional girl in school, ‘Pioneer’ is a gem that by turns fascinates and horrifies you. Highly recommended.
