Twayna Mayne's default setting is overwhelmingly unimpressed. The London comic explains that, as well as biggies like war and famine, her day job and people who get to work early and eat their breakfast at their desks, are just a few of the things that displease her.
Mayne's original and sardonically witty.
But the full extent of her wrath is reserved for Morocco. And, later on in the set, she shares a raw and illuminating (but not particularly funny) letter addressed to the country's tourist board after a dispiriting-sounding holiday there. The caustic missive describes exactly why it's unlikely that she'll be planning a return visit.
Downbeat but engaging, Mayne opens by racing through a string of jokes. Her brisk delivery means that we're subjected to an oddly unrelenting gag onslaught. It's also probably the reason why, on this occasion, the show lasts for just 25 minutes as opposed to the advertised 40.
She relaxes and slows up the pace when she moves on to talk about her family and childhood. This is Underwhelmed's most appealing section. There's some good material about the less than empowering time she spent in the Brownies, and her foray into the world of the Woodcraft Folk. But it quickly transitions from stand up into pretty much straight storytelling, and would benefit from a more regular injection of punchlines.
Mayne's original and sardonically witty. A more cohesive, and tightly-written, show would make the most of her obvious talent.
