Reviewed by: See Do Eat Review
Review by Justine Hall | 29 February 2024
If you’ve ever wished that the elders in your life would cut loose now and again, be careful what you wished for: Geri is one bad grandma you won’t forget. OnlyGrans is the brainchild of actress Nathalie Fenwick, who channels her potently funny physical comedy into a hilarious stand-alone show. An expert in satirical clowning and mischief, rarely a moment goes past where she isn’t eliciting giggles from the crowd. Her character Geri is a lonely conservative nanna with a low tolerance for nonsense and a major distrust of the queer community. Curious about this so-called “internet”, she inexplicably finds herself drawn to the world of online dating. Very quickly this stuffy old gran becomes embroiled with lewd photos, “milfs” and Tinder, turning all her sensibilities and self-control upside down. Unabashedly silly in its delivery, Geri is a crude caricature of the stuffy retiree, and yet weirdly endearing in her absurdity. Whether she’s suggestively dancing in her tracksuit or getting a little too excited to sample a Werther's original, her seemingly innocent demeanor clashes hilariously with her folly into the raunchier side of dating app culture. And if you’re a shy audience member, you’ll make yourself an easy target for her eccentricities (my hand will never feel the same after she placed a piece of wet spaghetti in it). It’s delightfully absurd and tongue-in-cheek. It’s also an unexpectedly heart-warming experience watching the unhinged derangement unfold into a journey of self-discovery. The offensive humour will not be for everyone, but for those who like a bit of bite with their comedy and a bit of mischief in their theatre, this will be right up their alley. It’s a very self-aware show and revels in the weirdness - (the decision to hold the show inside a church feels doubly ironic). Filthy, bombastic and very funny. If you’re a fan of Monty Python-esque levels of absurdity then this will be your cup of Earl Grey tea. FOUR STARS ****