Cariad Lloyd: Lady Cariad's Characters

Cariad Lloyd is a very funny woman, never resorting to the lazy pitfall of the girlish, naïve and ditzy stereotype. She is sharp, witty and fiercely intelligent – even when dressed as a French gangster and attempting to sleep with a member of the front row.

Introducing her host of bizarre characters, she pokes fun at the thespian types unable to poke fun at themselves, moving on to fire through a number of very different acts all brought to life by costume, accent and painfully funny observation. She knows people, and therefore knows exactly how to transform herself convincingly into, for example, a young boy named Andrew. It's a brilliant piece of performance, and one of the best in the hour, all gawky quips and hunched shoulders.

Oscillating between silly and piercingly astute, her timing is always spot-on, with the few misfires neatly swept up by strong follow-up pieces that neatly hit the mark. Naturally, some characters are more successful than others—a hippie guru doesn't quite live up to the franglais flirtatiousness of her Parisian gangster rapper—but there are laughs to be had from all. An audition piece involving a black shawl and a surprisingly violent background is littered with wry glances and perfectly timed pauses. Lloyd does not do "female-oriented" comedy, she does universal comedy, and it's wonderful to see such a talented performer on the Free Fringe. Yes, it's free and so there's no excuse for you not to pop in.