THEATRE REVIEW: Glorilla ★★★★

Glorilla

Gloucester Guildhall // Strike a Light Festival

Sunday 24th April 2016

Presented by Spitz&Co, a company who I first came across in 2014 with their first show ‘Gloriator’ at Jolt Theatre Festival in Gloucester, ‘Glorilla’ is a story, or look back, at the life of Gloria Delaneuf, a famous French actress, played beautifully by Pauline Morel, who re-tells the tale of when she entered the Kungalunga Jungle and became friends with a Gorilla named Mickey.

Susie Donkin also returned to play Josephine Cunningham, Gloria’s tour manager amongst many other roles, and once again Susie brought the energy and vibe to the performance right from the start with some excellent audience interaction, handing out pencils for notes and making sure everyone was silent in preparation for a further segment in the show. It’s at times like this, when silence and pauses used throughout the show are so perfectly timed, that make Spitz&Co such a unique and fresh female double act so successful so much that they can put you at ease.

A real highlight of the show is when Gloria tries to sense and engage with an audience members pet in her head, because it was so wacky and weird, but incredibly creative at the same time as well as another highlight being the support of a shampoo company that get referenced throughout the production, but mostly by Josephine, who makes sure it’s used at the best moments, which makes you laugh because it’s just so genius!

Both Susie and Pauline have incredible stage presence and know how to use the audience to their advantage so much that if you are ever lucky to catch Glorilla, or their previous show Gloriator, in a town around the UK, you will most definitely not be disappointed, as Spitz&Co are a company who I have been excited for since watching their first show, and now makes me even more excited for their next, because if Glorilla is anything to go by, these ladies are going from strength to strength!