Nicola Marci @ Lazy Susan’s Comedy Lounge
Saturday, October 1, 2017
Nicola Macri is one of Perth’s upcoming superstars of comedy, with The Nicest Person in the Room (Take Two) being only her third appearance on a WA stage. While currently lacking a little stylistically, the substance is meaty, fulfilling and as full of promise as a freshly delivered pizza.
Barely a pubescent comedian in the making, Macri is a beacon of hope on the comedy scene. In times like these, making light of existential crises and the vortex that is Facebook “misery scrolling” is sweet refuge for a few moments from the daily dread we are all churning through. Fresh and topical, she offers up her own political views in a rolling train of thought. While unfortunately lacking in smooth segues, this will surely improve with coaching and experience. Smooth transitions between bits comes with time, feedback and practice. Despite this, it’s already worth the ride on the Macri train to fulfilment.
You really want to like Macri, and she pulls out all the stops to draw you in, right down to singing and dancing – the triple threat. You simply haven’t lived until you’ve seen the nicest person in the room perform a fully choreographed, frenetically bouncy aerobics routine to 80s pop porn. It’s worth the price of admission alone.
Unfortunately, the actively made decision to place an outstanding number towards the end, is oddly justified by wanting to rally against the norm. Sure, nonconforming is fun and all, but performers need to have a good reason to do so. Ten minutes of unnecessary puffing through the end of the show, simply out of an act of rebellion, is not one of them. It is forgivable, though, for the flawless moves and sheer joy it delivers.
Once she hones her craft, Macri is surely one to watch. Keep an eye out for future Fringe World appearances and revel in them. No sex jokes here. No bad boyfriend bemoaning to endure. She really is simply the nicest girl in the room, with a message about being good, standing in front of a room and asking for them to holler for her.
NATALIE GILES
