Sandy Hole: Lost Property Box

As Helen Heels

More Caroline Mabey videos

Started comedy in November 2005, Mabey is a stand-up and character comedian who sometimes performs as Helen Heels, landlady to the stars.

Caroline Mabey's One Minute Silence
Live Review

Caroline Mabey wants to use her show to teach us how to sit in silence. Is she mad? Maybe...

She waits at the door to greet her audience in a friendly way, helpfully trying to guide us towards the front seats. This pleasant persona is a relaxing comfort, in contrast to her in-show character, who is overtly firm and mildly offensive, in a slightly sardonic and surreal way. The tone is established as she picks on a ‘maggot’ to abuse from the very beginning.

As we learn how to work as a team and the rules of the One Minute Silence, we are warned of the consequences of not following procedure and we are hit by a great gag, certainly her strongest one. With the slightly reluctant help of some of the audience, we are then introduced to Dr. Hospital, whose instinctive response to hearing her name is surprisingly entertaining, and Enrique the off-duty police officer, plus three surprise celebrities.

Pushing through the training session, and despite the quietness of the room, Mabey manages to raise the intensity a bit and get most of the audience on-side, including the husband of a woman who left five minutes in. Being aware of potential distractions we move on to the serious risks involved in a One Minute Silence, including muscle fatigue and suicide.

Mabey relies heavily on her projector, most of her slides are intentionally simplistic, but then has smooth conversations with her animated characters, Mr Scrangles the scrambled egg and the Coffee Pot. Despite a brief technical failure, we discover in an ironic yet adoringly serious way, that Mabey also has less glamorous technology like faxes supporting her show.

Before the big finale, Mabey slightly breaks character to tell us of the other shows she wanted to do in Edinburgh instead, in a carefully crafted and well-judged prelude to her smart finish.

It feels like an original show, yet has hints of Will Adamsdale's award-winning Jackson’s Way and her favourite word ‘Amazing!’ is very reminiscent of Greg Davies as mind-reader Derren Chilblain. Despite these influences, Mabey has put together something entertaining and unique, and you'd be hard pushed to remain silent throughout it.

Saw Caroline last night at Grantham,a well put together set. I enjoyed the act lots. Highly recommended.

Garry Edwards, October 2010

She's very comfortable with her stage persona which endears the audience to a charmingly mental sex pest. Her material is well written and well presented with some cracking slow burners thrown in. She worked easily with the audience, keeping control, whilst still remaining a little vulnerable and slightly sexually sinister. She didn't rely on aggression to make a joke, but somehow managed to pull us all into her little world..... reminded me of Caroline Aherne (would make a great comedy actress).

Me, October 2010

Caroline did a cracking job of compereing a very unusual gig at a wedding reception last night. Managed to get the gobby ones in the audience calmed down before I went on. Fantastic.

W. Shakespeare, October 2010

Caroline compered the first night of The Comedy Cow and warmed the audience up fantastically well. She was very well received and got the praise she deserved from the audience. An excellent compere that we hope to have back in the future!

The Comedy Cow, April 2010

The only laughs that Caroline received during her performance at the Comedy Cavern in Bath were the nervous ones of a student she continually picked on. There wasn't much to laugh at as none of the jokes packed any real punch, no matter how crude and desperate they became. I'm sorry to say this as I had looked forward to her performance from reading the blurb on the flyer

Student Rob, March 2010

Caroline has a fantastic, childish, innocent persona. She's also got some really good jokes as well, which compliment her charming delivery. One for the future definitely.

Steve McBride, October 2009