Paul & Laura Don’t Give A Sh*t (Sorry) is a new show by Paul Macauley and Laura Mugridge which made its debut at The Brunswick in Hove at the Brighton Fringe. It kicked off by playing on the fact that Paul and Laura’s friends think they’re pretty nice. Kind and empathetic are some of the words their mates would use to describe them, but Paul and Laura don’t want to be seen as thoughtful – “It gets you nowhere”. They’ve put on their leather jackets and they want to prove their friends wrong and be cool, sexy and edgy: “The big three”.
Beans, Flamingos, and Questionable Life Choices
Cue the stories that prove that they don’t give a sh*t… including that Laura put down some beans in the wrong place in the supermarket when she realised she accidentally had two lots in her basket. We also got a whistle-stop tour of all the cool things, including how to wall flamingo (leaning on the wall, one foot up = cool and not giving a sh*t.).
This hilarious duo’s comic timing, sharp and authentic writing, stage presence and performing chemistry were pure joy. They had the audience at The Brunswick in Hove’s cabaret-style seating howling with laughter at every twist and turn (except the thought-provoking bits).
From Script to Spontaneity
Fifteen minutes in, Laura revealed this wasn’t actually the show, which meant the rest of it had to be chaotic and improvised. Laura had a slideshow, Paul had a song and there was even a bit of audience participation. What I loved about this was it was audience participation that uplifted and inspired rather than left people dreading being picked on.
Highlights included trying to find the third coolest person in the room by a creative process of elimination and the question we had the chance to answer or go away with at the end (I won’t give it away – you’ll have to go and see it).
In conclusion: What a show!
Paul & Laura don’t give a sh*t (Sorry) gave me everything I would want from a comedy gig at the Brighton Fringe: face-aching laughter, surprise and delight. And it gave me so much more: slideshows and a song, vulnerability and kindness, and a tear in my eye at the end. This show made me fall in love with Paul and Laura. If Paul and Laura are putting on a show again, I’ll be queuing up to grab a ticket, even if they are too cool to give a sh*t.
