Pony Yell is tricky show to recap with confidence. You can expect to exit the Imperial after the show wondering aloud, “What just happened?”
With that in mind, let’s begin with the basic premise: Kate Dehnert, a quirky character brimming with an abundance of energy, takes several fantastical detours in her quest to deliver some mail. Beyond that, things get complicated. The show’s shambolic narrative ricochets from one scene to the next in pinball-esque fashion, Dehnert’s revolving door of characters compounding the chaos. It’s a lot to take in and impressive that Dehnert can blitz through it without a single obvious blunder. Basically, if you don’t do your very best to keep up with Dehnert’s rapid-fire make-believe, you will be left behind.
Naturally, in packing such a wealth of material into 45 minutes, Pony Yell does manage to yield a few laughs. But then again, it must: it’s the epitome of buckshot comedy, giving rise to the idea that if you bombard somebody with nonsense for long enough, you’ll eventually tickle a funnybone. That’s exactly what happens throughout Pony Yell, too, Dehnert delivering the downright bizarre with varying success. It’s a hit-and-miss affair adept at creating pockets of laughter, rarely bringing the entire room together in hysterical amusement. One segment that stands to unite the audience in uproarious laughter features an eccentric dork of a DJ, Dehnert very much hitting her stride.
Overall, it’s difficult to be overly critical of Dehnert, because she has clearly let her imagination run wild and that’s not something that should be stifled. Most comics would kill to be able to create such a colourful three-quarters-of-an-hour, or possess the ability to dream up such fantastical narratives, characters and raps. Indeed, Dehnert has perceptible promise. With regards to Pony Yell, though, the show spins way out of control, proving more bewildering than laugh-out-loud funny. At least it’s wildly original, which is still worth plenty at the end of the day.
BY NICK MASON
