Writer: Nora Kelly Lester
Director: Nessa Matthews
In one of the most unique theatres in Dublin, Smock Alley’s stained-glass windows and unimaginably high vaulted ceilings makes you think you’re about to watch a Cirque du Soleil extravaganza. If anything it was a pleasure to sit amongst the small audience and appreciate the architecture of the building, it certainly adds to the experience when the performance is even more striking than the building itself.
Written and performed by Nora Kelly Lester; a one woman wonder in Bunny Bunny. Lester plays a 30-something struggling single woman as we are taken through various sketches of her life, which aren’t all too familiar with our own. There were laughs from the first moment she appears in her leopard print swim suit, sauntering down the ramp to the stage. Lester does not falter, even with the added element of audience participation, which in theatre can be unreliable at best. Lester was playing comedic tennis with the members of audience she spoke to. There wasn’t a single answer she couldn’t turn into comedy gold, and it was a delight to be a part of. It is clear that director Nessa Matthews and Lester have ironed out every crease and gifted to us one of the stand out performances of 2024.
Bunny Bunny is a rare breed of seemingly improvised sketches, which in actuality, have been so finely tuned to seem as if Lester speaks off the cuff. Although each sketch we saw was different, they flowed into one cohesive story and it was incredibly relatable. I felt the writing, physical comedy, and ingenuity to be on par with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag.
What makes Lester such a special performer is the fact the stage had minimal props, yet we fully imagined the dog she introduced us to, the baby she swaddled around, and the various other smaller characters she made us believe were on stage beside her. A master of clowning, miming and comedic timing- Lester has a gift and we are lucky to share in that.
The magic behind this show is that less was certainly more. I don’t think this is a show that many actors could pull off, but my goodness am I gagging to see Nora Lester in her next project. Utterly divine and true belly-aching laughter, I cannot recommend Bunny Bunny enough.
Runs Until 20th April 2024.
The Review's Hub Score
One Woman Wonder
