Bec Hill: Caught on Tape

• Rowena McIntosh
• 14 August 2015

This article is from 2015.

A silly yet emotional trawl through people’s regrets

With Everything Everything then a remix of Edith Piaf playing while the audience enter, it's not hard to guess the topic of Bec Hill's latest show: regrets. It’s a subject that she acknowledges isn't an obvious choice for comedy but the burden of a big regret spurred her on to ask the Twittersphere how people deal with theirs.

Caught on Tape uses third-party stories but Hill brings her own personal take to bear on each. She's a delightful host, bursting with energy and game for trying her hand at shouted suggestions. Once she's covered the regrets of bad dates, body functions and being an ‘unco’ (a handy Aussie phrase for someone who is uncoordinated), she moves onto the serious regrets of those grieving for loved ones. The change in tone is expertly handled and packs a serious emotional punch.

Known for her comic art, the show opens and closes with her signature flip book. Her pictorial version of what the song 'Non, je ne regrette rien' sounds like to an English speaker – lots of rears – is comedy gold. Her prop’s delivery is quicker than her sometimes patchy stand-up, with a laugh almost guaranteed on every page, but merged together they provide a balanced performance of heart and silliness.

Gilded Balloon, 622 6552, until 31 Aug (not 19), 5.30pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50).