During the performance, Lorna Rose Treen had the two audience members sitting beside me inflate her chest by asking them to breathe into two air tubes. That is probably the best way to describe to you the glorious madness that takes place inside Lorna’s 24 Hour Diner, without spoiling all the best bits.
24 Hour Diner People is a splendidly strange, fabulously funny, comedy sketch-show in which award-winning comedian, Lorna Rose Treen, invites you to spend time in her place of service — while uncovering a number of delightful, odd, and all marvellously constructed characters. This is comedy in its purest form, flashy, whimsical, maximalist but balanced in all the right ways, with laughs surfacing in your fellow audience members left, right, and centre, so much so you’ll be surrounded by more cackle than people. Guaranteed, there will not be a single soul left behind unaffected by Lorna’s diva presence. I’ve never seen a more charismatic “weird girl”.
Audience interaction, despite being humiliating at times, is actually enjoyed — you won’t just be sitting there hoping you won’t get picked on like in a horribly torturous math class. I do believe embarrassment is Lorna’s gift to the people, welcoming you to step into the comedian’s crazy bubble for a wild but lively time. I’ve seen a lot of performers promise “fun”, but this is the first time I’ve seen it delivered without question.
24 Hour Diner People will have you wanting to partake in all of it — from acting the barber-shop quartet to lending a helping hand to funny improv lines. Maybe you’ll be a sheriff, or the mayor, or maybe you’ll be an intrigued guest watching Lorna transform herself into an “undercover” spy. No matter what, the diner is a finely constructed stage for a superb performance that will absolutely blow your socks off, AND have you asking for seconds.
Exuding easy charm, her wickedly funny skits are simply irresistible. Expect a shocker of a show, unexpected gold, that’s chaotic, rowdy, full of absurd clownery — but this is a special brand of buffoonery that makes heaven for anyone with a capacity to laugh. Whether you like one-man shows, classic sketches, variety, “weird girls” even — this one-of-a-kind, cleverly pioneered experience is truly capable of serving all its people who choose to dine-in, and prepared to serve you up a joke for every palate to taste. Truly a five-star experience, would come again.
I’m convinced Lorna Rose Treen doesn’t know expectations; she only knows how to defy them. I really would like to have what she’s having.
New dates for 24 Hour Diner People‘s sold-out run have been added for 19 and 20 August at Pleasance Courtyard (Above). Catch the comedian before it’s too late!
Tickets are available here.
Image courtesy of Tara Dein, provided to The Student as press material.
