“Walking into ’Kate’ felt like entering a modern art exhibition...Ultimately, ’Kate’ is an interesting show but is a bit disappointing when it comes to finding its humour within a mockingly serious performance. Berlant is a talented comedian, and there were quite a few moments that had me laughing, but they tended to be in between the long monologues or awkward camera closeups.”
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“I was surprised by the broad artificiality of this real-’Kate’...if ‘Kate’ isn’t as dizzyingly funny as its creator’s standup, nor as out-of-the-blue as Kingsman’s forerunner, it’s still a wicked and winningly daft takedown of showbiz self-regard, by one of the sharpest acts in comedy.”
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“Satirical takedowns of the pretensions of theatre folk and their raging egos is an established comedy trope but Berlant adds layers of prickly narcissism to the mix as she delivers a withering view of a society now existing online, constantly performing for the camera. It's a great 70 minutes.”
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“ ‘Kate’ is directed by Bo Burnham, playing his usual slippery games with sincerity, technology and chilly artifice. Whenever Berlant mugs at an onstage camera, another Berlant does the same on-screen, slightly out of sync, raising doubts over whether it’s a live-feed or a recording.”
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“Lampooning hackneyed theatre tropes while letting her knack for physical comedy shine, Berlan[t]’s face is a marvel...There’s even time for some improvised crowd work which makes for one of the biggest reactions in a night in which the laughs – and surprises – never seem to stop. ”
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“The trimmings are tremendous, and so is the performance...When she works through the differences between acting for stage acting, TV and film, getting closer to the camera each time, she both celebrates and satirises the ludicrous joy of performance itself.”
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