The medium of dance is under-utilised as a tool in stand-up comedy, but Stephanie Laing has found a way to incorporate it in a manner that is both funny and thematically relevant. In Stephanie Laing: Rudder, we are treated to an hour of comedy and dance that explores the concepts of bodies, consent, and happiness in a quirky and entertaining way.
Stephanie Laing starts by talking about being in a good place in her life. She is finally in a healthy, understanding relationship, she feels good about her body, and she feels she no longer needs to see her therapist. Laing takes us through how she feels and the journey it took her to get to this place through stand-up comedy and storytelling, interspersed with five dance pieces that tie in thematically.
Laing is a very warm, likeable presence and keeps the audience with her no matter what strange byway she takes them down. There are some very odd bits, such as a dance based on a collection of cards with pictures of bears feeling different emotions, which are intended as an educational tool for autistic children. This only makes marginally more sense in context. But Laing’s commitment and clear enjoyment are infectious and leave you more intrigued than puzzled.
Though mostly quite a light-hearted show, Stephanie Laing: Rudder does feature a bit of discussion about self-harm and sexual assault. These can be difficult topics to hear about, but Laing carefully approaches these topics in a way that is nuanced and thoughtful whilst still finding the humour in them.
The show isn’t a laugh riot, though there are some great jokes. One in particular, concerning Laing feeling hurt about how accepting her therapist was when she told her she didn’t feel like she needed any more sessions, made me laugh very loudly. But I left Stephanie Laing: Rudder with more insight into the relationship between body and mind, a more nuanced understanding of consent from a female perspective, and the ‘Graham’ dance technique.
