Norwich Playhouse

> Norwich Playhouse

It is difficult to criticise anybody who bears their soul for our entertainment, and Haynes was quick to parade her vulnerability – in everything from her dress and demeanour to her quips about past illness and family deaths.

In short, she instantly aroused our sympathy.

But did she deserve to keep us on side?

The audience tried to laugh, but it was quite hard, given that the speed of delivery required constant attention and in the opening sequence, the gags, when you caught them, were mostly not very funny.

Early material included alternative medicine, wheat allergies, and cheese.

Things did improve as the comic got into her stride, however, and the pace started to rattle less as she took us on a tour of famous Belgians like herself, whose apparent fascist tendencies she wanted to avoid: the inventor of the Smurfs and Tintin both featured.

And the Sten gun had nearly calmed to something almost audible by the time she got to her final minutes, which were all about Michael Drosnin and codes concealed in the Bible, which included the word 'excellent'.

But – was she really excellent?

Well, there was only one joke that really made me laugh…

We've all wondered about renewable energy sources, but I'd never heard of rabbits as a possible source of heating (small, hot, furry bodies, big ears to distribute the warmth).

But as for the show as a whole, well, I'm still not sure…