Art Craft and Leisure news

Carys Eleri first made waves with her 2018 show Lovecraft (Not The Sex Shop In Cardiff). Blending comedy and neuroscience, it offered a new, more modern approach to standup and storytelling, and won numerous awards as a result. Her latest show, Tonguing, explores the neuroscience of communication through standup, song and animation.

The show is framed as an examination of Eleri’s life during lockdown. Exploring the impact that stress and isolation has on the human brain, the show discusses living with her mother, taking psychedelics in the hot tub and going back into the world for the first time post-pandemic. Stories from her life are interspersed with descriptions of neuroscience; songs are accompanied by animated music videos. At various points, the audience are asked to get up and take part, all in the name of connecting to one another, and celebrating the art of conversation.

There is a huge amount to like about the show. Eleri is charismatic, funny and charming; insightful, too, and clearly knowledgeable. Plus her singing voice is fantastic. Even the audience participation parts, which on the whole I’m never a fan of, were a huge joy. Being asked to get up, sing, dance and be stupid was actually lovely – and freeing, in a world that asks you to be self-conscious. Bold, brave and daft, Eleri holds the space in such a way that you are allowed to be as well.

The delivery of the concept falls a little short for me. In theory, it should work really well: there are a lot of women in their twenties and thirties who turn to reading about neuroscience as a way of answering questions about their own biology and mental health. Many more people still would benefit from being introduced to the field, in order to better understand themselves. In practice, I’m not sure either audience is fully served by Tonguing. My friends and I found the neuroscience content a little over-simplified; conversely, a total novice to the topic may struggle to grasp the concepts being discussed, on account of the show’s pacing.

The framing is also less clear than it might be. Tonguing is loosely about the pandemic, but it’s also about Eleri’s opinions on the Welsh language (these parts are particularly strong and funny), sex, socialising and various other things. A lot of comedians do this, and it can work really well, but add in animation, music and science discussion, and you need a clearer scaffolding on which to stand – and a stronger narrative to carry you through than emerges here. 

Regardless of any misgivings, Tonguing is a fun, giddy night out: candid, frank and a breath of fresh air in a world that, especially at the moment, can take itself too seriously. I think we can all benefit from talking more, and I’m so up for more shows that actively encourage getting up and being silly. 

Carys Eleri, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Fri 10 Apr

At Pontardawe Arts Centre on Sat 25 Apr; Machynlleth Comedy Fest on Sat 2 May. Tickets: prices vary. Info: Pontardawe / Machynlleth

words HARI BERROW

She wrote: “Moments that gesture at America’s prevailing culture as a corrupt, hypocritical thing that trickles down to infect everyone are a fascinating glimpse into what might be Levinson’s unfiltered thoughts on our collective psyche, but then he’ll cut to another shot of a female character being joyfully objectified, and the sense of Euphoria offering something deeper, something more insightful, collapses.”