Writer: Cova Camblor
Cova Camblor performs her one-woman show, Maybe I do, at Hen and Chickens as part of the Camden Fringe before taking it to the Edinburgh Fringe. It’s a droll concept. Her fictional Cora is a mercurial young Spanish woman who enters in full wedding fig, explaining she’s about to be married on Zoom. Her fiancé is apparently in jail. He’s late and she fears he’ll never show up. And so begins Camblor’s zany stand-up.
She plays up her Spanish persona with a thick accent, forever unable to pronounce English S’s and TH’s. But although it’s funny that the various men in her life all have names like Steven and Smith, it’s not a joke that really bears constant repetition. At times, too, the accent and speed of Camblor’s delivery make it hard to follow everything.
The fictional Cova has had a complex and hopeless succession of relationships. She is endearing as she spills out the surreal details of her life, in particular, her unwitting ability to derail a potential relationship by her inappropriate enthusiasms and her not-ever-explained determination to marry someone – anyone, it seems. She’s also a hypochondriac, although this detail feels shoe-horned in to lead into her final twist. There are some witty moments when Camblor draws on cultural differences between the two nationalities – her observation about the British cloaking rudeness with constant apologies works well. But there are also some laboured jokes about British sayings. Isn’t ‘Not my cup of tea’ taught at the start of all English language lessons? And does anyone these days ever say ‘Bob’s your uncle’?
Camblor’s show is certainly full of wacky ideas, but her performance needs a great deal more polish. She could afford to slow down and to rein in her constantly changing facial expressions. Plus on the writing front, she should learn from experienced comedians and pay attention to which jokes don’t land, then write new ones.
Runs until 5 August, then to Edinburgh Fringe
Camden Fringe runs until 27 August 2023
