Words: Alex Grunberg
Image:

4 stars

Emma Holland embraces her quirky flair in this eclectic hour of comedy, combining media, anecdotes, crowd work, observations, and impressive language skills. Her quick wit brings us blink-and-you-miss it jokes, with many fun moments of delayed laughter from the audience as we raced to keep up with the flickering nature of Holland’s brain, chasing her quips as she hopped from thought to thought.

And in Holland’s brain, it is clear that the intrusive thoughts always win.

Arcing stories of her childhood in Indonesia are coloured with puns and visual gags like interwoven patches. Carefully carried punch lines tie disparate musings on identity, language, and ambition together as a craftily constructed whole. And Holland’s purposefully awkward persona does not hide her confidence as a comedian, always in control, often through her willingness to lose control. Her rapport with the audience was constant fun, rolling with surprises from the very engaged and participatory viewers. My favourite section of the performance was an extended, building joke of tote bags and poetry. I genuinely would love to own several of those gag tote bags and wear them with pride.

While the threads that connect this piece sometimes don’t quite tie together, it doesn’t take away from how much of a very fun hour Holland presents.

A truly enjoyable comedy collage.

Emma Holland
Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker Three
16:45
Aug 3-11, 13-25