Fuck Off And Leave Me Alone is actress Juliet Cowan’s first foray into the world of stand-up comedy. The show premiered last year at the Bush Theatre and came to the Vault Festival for the final weekend.
Over an hour Cowan takes us through life as a middle-aged woman, with hatred of the patriarchy at the forefront of the show. In fact, the patriarchy is represented onstage, an action figurine of Thing from Fantastic Four is suspended from the ceiling. An enduring presence which provides unsolicited advice and opinions throughout.
Cowan dances onstage in an outfit which resembles something between Princess Leia and a sugar glider. The introduction is high energy, giving us a taste of what is to come, although for an intro it is a touch too lengthy.
We begin with Cowan’s anxiety during her teenage years of not losing her virginity, and winding up in heaven for virgins, which she explains would consist of Anne Widdecombe and babies – a hilarious image painted in our minds. She then displays the disappointment of losing your virginity, a subject I’m sure is relatable to many.
Cowan’s jokes have varying levels of success, some causing raucous laughter, some small ripples of giggles. The part with audience participation toward the end of the show fills the air with palpable awkwardness, and doesn’t add much to the overall performance. The show is at its best when Cowan owns the stage with her electric, energetic presence, she’s an engaging storyteller, and incorporating female rage at the patriarchy is intensely relatable – and a stroke of pure genius.
The links between bits are not the strongest, and throughout she refers to a list onstage, to check what’s next, which gives the feeling that she’s ticking boxes to work through the routine. This in turn slightly disrupts the flow and rhythm she creates. Hopefully, with more practice, this can be ironed out.
Fuck Off And Leave Me Alone is a solid debut show, and Cowan is a natural comedian, with some edits and polishing, this will be utterly hilarious.
VAULT Festival has been left without a venue for 2024’s festival and beyond
• VAULT Festival have launched a #SaveVAULT campaign
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• You can help by donating, helping access funding networks, and helping then find a venue.
• You are officially implored to make the most of 2023’s Festival while it lasts!
{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}
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