Suitable for 12+!
Miranda Hart is the tall and beloved comedienne, known to us as the star of sitcom Miranda. She’s also had radio shows in the past, and featured on many panel shows like Would I Lie To You? Back in the old days she was on Lee Mack’s Not Going Out as the hilarious, dim-witted cleaner. In the really old days, she used to be on CBBC programme Stupid, and some of the characters she played on there really were the highlight of that strange kid’s comedy. Now, Miranda is a huge name on our TV screens, and the fact she can sell out the O2 Arena in London (one of the biggest in the UK) shows us she’s climbed to the top of the comedy ladder. A true national treasure.
She’s different to a lot of other comedians you see around nowadays, because not only is she female (which is actually quite rare for successful comedians), she’s energetic, socially awkward and very, very tall. An odd combination, but somehow, she manages to make it work. Her experiences at parties make us empathise with her a lot, because we too have panicked in social situations and done the “wrong” thing. It endears us to her in a way that other comedians cannot.
She plays on the very British problems that we, as a nation, frequently suffer from. The risks associated with tea and browsing shops when you don’t actually need to in order to be polite are probably rare in other countries.
Miranda is charming, because she doesn’t like the adult world, and wants to return to the simplicity of childhood. The fact that growing up sucks is a feeling most of us share, and Miranda has the enthusiasm and joy of a child. She believes that instead of hurriedly walking, commuters should gallop to work like ponies. To watch her galloping around on stage is a wonderful sight, because you’ll want to have a go too! When audience members get up to go to the toilet (if she spots them) she’ll encourage them to gallop, and watching ordinary people skipping gleefully down the aisles of the massive arena – laughing all the way, mind – will bring a smile to even the gloomiest face.
Another thing that distinguishes our dear Miranda from the rest of the comedy pack is her use of audience interaction – a technique she even (somewhat miraculously) manages to use in her TV shows, known in the industry as “breaking the fourth wall”. Imagine a stage with performers on it. There’s three walls at the side, and though there’s not a fourth one between you and the performers, they look like they don’t know you’re there, so they don’t interact with you. When an actor looks at the audience in a knowing way, it’s one example of breaking this invisible (or fourth) wall. In her live show, Miranda heartily throws crisps, drinks and snacks at the audience, in an attempt to create a “party” atmosphere. Combined with the singalong and the dancing she gets them to join in with, she’s successful! The highlight of it all is when she sets up 2 audience members to go on a blind date backstage. She gets them up on stage and has a bit of a laugh with them, and after the interval they come back to tell her (and us) how it all went. Sounds rather dull, but it’s hilariously cringeworthy- you’ll just have to watch and find out.
Fans of Miranda are very sad at present. This is because her TV show came to an end on New Year’s Day – so whilst we may celebrate the New Year, it got off to a bad start as we mourn the loss of Miranda, her crazy family and friends, and some of our most beloved sitcom characters of all time.
Image from: https://www.list.co.uk/article/66125-christmas-2014-top-five-live-comedy-dvds/
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