Review by Dominic Corr

Monkey Barrel Comedy HIVE: Tickets

A double-meaning, the ‘Meanings of Life’tagline is used cleverly by Yoriko Kotani to demonstrate double standards and cultural confusion in moving from Japan to the UK to often hilarious consequences and anecdotes.

A charming set-up, one which would spoil the entire performance to reveal Kotani’s Meaning of Life, if self-explanatory in ways and covers much of their routine – though performed with a charm and angle very few other comedians can carry. Even in the more notoriously uncomfortable Monkey Barrel HIVE venues, Kotani brings freshness and energy to their stand-up, and is brilliant at drawing audiences into the storytelling elements of their stand-up, the more touching moments, and the comedy in equal measure.

The anxious energy is a double-edged sword, though slightly sharper on the negative. It’s endearing and adds a lot to the chaotic energy of some routines, but also remarkably overshadows a lot of the build-up to punchlines and scatters a lot of momentum where the punchline is thrust. A big push for audience interaction comes before the finale, one which, even with a more responsive crowd, doesn’t really seem to rely that heavily on their input for such a sporadic push for audiences to shout out. Disappointing as it comes just after Kotani’s most robust routine, one which ties together all the scattered pieces left throughout and ties them together.

Bonkers and a deeply personal show in many ways, Kotani beautifully threads the illustrations between cultures in accessible ways while maintaining the humour. Their erratic energy throws off the structure of punchlines a tad too often but never diminishes the heart of the show, and audiences will come away with much more mirth than they entered. With some gorgeous storytelling and an infectious zeal for performance, there just needs to be more structure to match their incredible imagination.

---