Meaning is usually seen as something singular. A word has a certain meaning and life has one which can be found if you look hard enough. This isn’t the approach of Yuriko Kotani however, who instead takes on life through a pluralising sense of linguistic curiosity.
Life in Japanese, her first language, can be expressed in two different ways and the new English words she’s learned since moving the UK 18 years ago are even more elusive. In her show, Yuriko addresses both British and Japanese cultures with zest and humour.
Aside from her pursuit of meaning, in all its many definitions, is a personal performance of her love life. Not just her new boyfriend, but also her long-estranged father. The topic obviously still affects her, a shadow upon her adult life which becomes a shadow literally in her performance(she can make shadow hand puppets, it’s pretty cool).
Her energy is a bit frantic, and she trips over herself a few times during the show as her mouth can’t quite keep pace with her head. It’s endearing but does definitely define her performing style. If that’s going to be a problem for you, if you really only enjoy polished comedy, then she might not be the act for you.
Overall, Yuriko’s show is an interesting pit stop in a day of fringe-going. I didn’t regret spending an hour with her, even when she chucked salad leaves into the crowd.
Yuriko Kotani: The Meanings of Life, 13:55, Monkey Barrel Comedy (The Hive), until August 25
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/yuriko-kotani-the-meanings-of-life
Latharna Imlah
