Alyssa Kyria: A Spark In The Dark

Original Review:

Alyssa suffers from standing on the same stage in the same
venue that last year hosted Laura Solon's brilliant Perrier -winning
show.

Laura Solon's show was a masterclass in how to write and perform
a series of character monologues. Alyssa's characters are far
less subtly drawn and performed.

So we have a loud audience member with a mobile phone, a female
clearly copied from Ali G doing an X-Factor audition, a self-loathing
woman calling to employ a hit man kill her

It all tends towards caricature rather than characterisation
and I suspect Alyssa is more performer than writer.

However - and it is a big however ­ in the final character
of a pregnant hillbilly singer in an extravagant wig performing
a rousing knees-up of a song, Alyssa absolutely bloomed. She
suddenly became a potential star. My jaw dropped.

My guess ­ and I could be wrong ­ is that Alyssa is
trying to create and perform a subtle 9pm BBC Two comedy show
which would get well-reviewed in the broadsheets and much smarmed
about in the Groucho Club, but get low ratings. But she actually
has the potential to be a Saturday evening peaktime performer
in the Ant & Dec area - with giant ratings.

My advice: forget Oxbridge reviewers. Come back next year
with a Daily Mirror wham-bam populist show. To hell with subtlety.
Go OTT and become a star.

John Fleming

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