By Livi Player, Arts Editor
Fresh from The Delight Collective, Bristol Improv Theatre hosted IMOGENÉ: the improvised pop concert. The show is an interactive queer feminist comedy pop diva clown show. From girl power ballads to improvised love songs about audience members, the show was a laugh from beginning to end.
IMOGENÉ is an outrageous and unpredictable show of laughs and giggles. You truly don’t know what to expect from an improv night. Pride flags at the ready, this queer icon is in the making for greatness. She is an over the top hilarious diva with comical costume changes and terrible French accents, it really was a feel good show. Imogen Palmer has comedy at her core.
With help from performer Jack on the piano, and Imogen Palmer's grounding of the show in Bristol with references to Park Street and Stokes Croft, she truly appeals to her audience for laughs and was impressive from start to finish. She finessed a wonderful air of confidence which resonated smiles from her audience.
She cleverly tackles issues of consent and binary gender norms as well as feminism and the patriarchy. From naming vaginas Helen and computer game larks the audience truly helps conjure up IMOGENÉ’s new improvised pop album.
The dazzling lights, sparkly costumes, smoke machines, pride flags and funky electric piano music, made the show was thoroughly enjoyable. She cleverly uses comedy to dismantle the patriarchy and explores queer identities on stage in her solo performance.
Although at times a little hesitant, Imogen Palmer is a star in the making. IMOGENÉ is Imogen Palmer’s first solo project. She is touring her show IMOGENÉ for a three night run in London as part of Vault Festival from the 26th-28th February, so if you know anyone in or around London looking for an evening of laughs this is a show to recommend.
|Queer feminist theatre: in conversation with Imogen Palmer
Imogen Palmer is the Artistic Director of The Delight Collective which has produced hilarious interactive shows including The Bish Bosh Bash (The Bristol Improv Theatre), Friends Like These (Zeal Pride Festival 2017 - 19) and is developing performance project ‘If These Walls Could Talk’ for International Women’s Day 2020, taking women from across Bristol to retell true stories of inspirational women from the past 100 years.
Featured image credit: Lee Pullen
Did you see IMOGENÉ? What did you think of the show?
