In With Feeling, Flo & Joan demonstrate how effectively music and comedy can become part of the same theatrical language. The songs are not simply vehicles for jokes, nor are the spoken sections interruptions between musical numbers. Instead, humour develops through lyrics, rhythm, musical phrasing and dialogue, giving the performance a distinctive and carefully controlled flow.
The show’s strongest quality is its musical execution. Nicola Dempsey’s piano playing and sister Rosie Dempsey’s percussion do far more than provide accompaniment, actively shaping the pace and delivery of the comedy. Both performers demonstrate impressive musical control, moving confidently between instrumental passages, singing and spoken material.
The humour is mostly dry, deadpan and built around misdirection rather than bawdy jokes or sitcom-style situations. Much of the comedy comes from the way each song begins with an apparently straightforward theme before taking a series of unexpected turns. These reversals are woven directly into tightly constructed lyrics, precise rhymes and musical phrasing, so the punchlines emerge naturally from the songs themselves rather than feeling added on. The result is a particularly sophisticated form of musical comedy, where the humour often comes from being led confidently in one direction before the song suddenly takes you somewhere entirely different.
Equally important is the interaction between the two performers. Their contrasting deliveries create comedy without relying on exaggerated gestures or elaborate staging. A pause, a brief response or a change in musical rhythm can become part of the joke. Their timing is precise, yet the exchanges retain an easy, conversational quality.
What is particularly impressive is how naturally the different elements of the show are stitched together. Songs, dialogue and recurring ideas move in and out of one another without ever feeling like separate sections, giving the performance a polished but spontaneous flow.
With Feeling is a lively and accomplished piece of musical comedy, built around two highly skilled performers who understand both the technical demands of live music and the precision required to make comedy work. Its greatest strength lies in making those two disciplines feel entirely inseparable.
Reviewed on 21 October 2026 and continues to tour
