Writer: Holly Gow
How Can(t) I Help returns to delight London audiences once again, this time working its way into the north of the city as part of Camden Fringe. Taking inspiration from Holly Gow’s experiences as a GP Receptionist – a.k.a ‘a gatekeeper from hell’ – this solo show has a bone to pick with every rude patient; every condescending round of applause, and every neurotic caller demanding urgent attention for a cold.
Audiences hoping for any substantial details about the current state of the NHS should probably recalibrate their expectations, as Gow keeps things pretty surface-level in truth. Where she does go into most detail is with her cutting reprimands of everyday behaviours, delighting the room with specific yet relatable takedowns of everyday behaviours, such as running for the tube.
Gow also impresses with a catalogue of accents throughout, bringing to life a range of mini-characters as she recounts memorable phone conversations from her past. These caricature voices may not always be the most nuanced, but they are strong, recognisable and serve their crowd-pleasing comic purpose.
Comedy is certainly one of the production’s greatest assets and, playing out on a minimal set with few props, this production could very easily transition into a stand-up comedy routine. Gow is a natural storyteller with a fantastic, if slightly cynical, sense of humour and her charisma never falters for a moment. She opens the show dancing carefree and confident in a way few performers can pull off, then continues to deliver 40 minutes of hilarious anecdotes with rapid precision.
However, this episodic storytelling suffers from its lack of a clear story arc. Audiences start to wonder when a deeper through-line will emerge beyond the ringing telephone and, when it eventually comes, it feels a little underwritten.
How Can(t) I Help is overall a surprisingly feel-good show, considering the bleak subject matter. With a running time of less than an hour, it is definitely worth dropping into The Lion & Unicorn Theatre for this little dose of dopamine.
Runs until 3 August 2024
Camden Fringe runs until 25 August 2024
