The lights dimmed. A drumkit, guitar, and mic stand inhabited the stage, waiting and ready. My gut feeling that noticed that moment as the calm before the storm proved correct, as, from the moment Michelle Brasier stepped onto the stage, the show was a whirlwind from start to finish.
Brasier is a comedic force with serious musical theatre chops. You don’t have to be a fan of musicals to appreciate the way she uses a seriously impressive array of music and theatre skills to tell a totally bizarre-but-weirdly-relatable story, with just enough social commentary woven in to keep things sharp and relevant.
Most solid hour-long comedy sets are a series of funny stories and vignettes which come together in one epic punchline at the end. This show is one true story that goes for the full hour – and when I say it’s bizarre, I’m talking Netflix special level bizarre.
Aside from playing the trombone in a crouch (I didn’t know it was possible to breathe enough to play the trombone doubled over like that, but there you go), one of the most impressive things is how Brasier ties together the different elements, with fiercely delightful layers of meaning that’ll have you discussing the show long after you’ve wiped away your tears of laughter.
I won’t spoil her story, but I will say that Reform isn’t just talking about the pilates contraption. She’s funny. She’s smart. She’ll have you cackling and clapping and wishing the show was twice as long.