🎭 Stimmicanto
📍 Barons Court Theatre, 28a Comeragh Road, London, W14 9HR
🗓 Sunday 4th February 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WONDERFULLY CHAOTIC
Last weekend I was back at Barons Court Theatre for the final performance of Stimmicanto from autistic creative Paggy Gacheva. The show had the tagline 'a comedy show of autistic joy' and that's just what it was - joyous.
A play on words - ‘Stimmi’ as in stimming, an autistic persons way of regulating and controlling their emotions, and ‘encanto’ which means charm in Spanish - Stimmicanto gives much needed representation to the neurodivergent community. Autism almost becomes a character in itself in this cleverly constructed show.
In this carefully scripted show, which is really a stand-up comedy performance, Paggy invites the audience on a rather eccentric journey through their neurodivergent mind as she likens her autism to brown sauce and casually explains why she believes all bus drivers have an agenda!
She bursts onto the stage in a whirlwind of energy, and manages to keep the momentum throughout the entire performance, delivering a wonderfully chaotic show that take you through the entire spectrum and celebrates what it is to be different is a comic and entertaining way.
We saw how she engaged with their brain on a daily basis and she held the audiences attention and was captivating as she info-dumped us on their special interest subjects such as train station signs and gloriously described masking.
Halfway through the performance there is a shift in delivery as the show becomes a gameshow and we’re introduced to the host Paintbrush Paggy! This was probably the part of the show I enjoyed the most as there was lots of audience interaction and it was a mix of scripted lines and improvisation which was a joy to watch.
What is endearing about Paggy is that she’s not afraid to make fun of themself which gives them great likability and their sheer authenticity shines through in spades. It is fantastic to see an autistic performer take centre stage in a joyous celebration of her community that delights the entire room, whether the observer is on the spectrum or not.
Paggy is an extraordinary comedian, but also manages to hit on sublime humanity as she delivers a flawless performance which had me laughing out loud from start to finish. The show is fast-paced and is filled with many anecdotes of what it’s like to live with autism, as well as more than a few references to Paul Rudd!
A show of randomness and unapologetic celebration of self, Stimmicanto is a roaring success. I would actually like to see more of the improvisation as this is when I felt Paggy was at their absolute best. The scripted moments, although great, almost seemed to stifle their creativity which was really let loose when she got to interact with the audience and use their quick wit in these moments.
If you ever get a chance to see Paggy perform, then take it. Follow her at @paggycomedy on Instagram where you will find details of all upcoming shows.
Neill Kovacic-Clarke
All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one reviewer.
My ticket for this performance of Stimmicanto was gifted by Paggy Gacheva who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.
RUNNING TIME (approx):
1 hour, with no interval
