Beth Vyse: As Funny As Cancer - review
Somewhere between hard-hitting reality and bonkers silliness, Beth Vyse strikes a miraculously plausible premise for a comedy show. Originally hailing from Stoke-on-Trent (aka the Huntley of Britain), Vyse recounts her story of moving to London (Homosexuals! A black man!), dating Christopher Eccleston (for a day), and meeting Michael Jackson on a bus. It’s all light-hearted fun up to this point, until one night during a seemingly passionate bout of lovemaking, she finds a mysterious and life-changing lump on her breast.
Introduced by a busty Dolly Parton and an assault of flying ping pong balls, As Funny As Cancer might seem a bit camp at first glance. But from tales of a hilariously botched MRI scan to a supermarket selection of artificial tits, Vyse recounts her personal journey with breast cancer in the most candid yet undeniably humorous way. Immersive, surreal, and at times mind-bendingly insane, Vyse offers up a fine example of narrative comedy that stirs both tender emotion on the frailty of life, and uncontrollable laughter at the pure absurdity of it.
As Funny As Cancer, 23-30 April, Vault at Q Theatre, Book tickets.
