Review: OLGA KOCH COMES FROM MONEY, Soho Theatre

“Is this relatable?”

Do you relate to the problem of being bullied in state school for being rich and then being bullied in private school for not being rich enough? Then this might be the show for you. Olga Koch Comes From Money is an hour of stand-up in which Koch explores her own relationship with wealth in a show that is formatted like a Q&A, answering the questions the audience might want to know. How did Koch’s family get wealthy? What’s it like being rich? Did you really write this show poolside on Uncle Jeffrey’s island?

The show begins with a bang, as Koch bursts onto the stage to music, whipping her hair around and showing off her dance moves to the audience, even climbing up on tables to round of applause. But Koch quickly lets us know that she will be unable to keep up this high energy for the rest of the show, declaring, “Talking about growing up on stage is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my whole life.”

So how rich is she? Well, her father was a part of the Russian government during the fall of the Soviet Union and was one of the men responsible for determining who would receive the oil that had once belonged to the government, which left many newly-minted oligarchs in his favour. Olga is short for “oligarch,” after all! 

Even though the majority of the show is focused on comedy, as one might expect, Koch also makes some interesting observations on the way money is viewed in different cultures, ranging from the class system based on the mythology of money in the United Kingdom to the American Dream in the United States. We learn how Koch becomes involved in these different worlds, joining a video-making company and “selling the American Dream to the people of Uzbekistan.”

While the show may be focused on money and the concept of being rich, there are several other topics brought up by Koch throughout the show, including her time at university in New York City from 2010 to 2014 when many things were happening at once - President Obama was reelected, Gossip Girl was airing and, of course, “Reverse 9/11.” One section focuses on the FBI agent who watches everyone through their computers - Koch has named hers Keith and thinks he could be helping her out a bit more. 

There are several great callbacks, including one where Koch refers to her ex, Pope Francis. When audience members in the front row admit at the beginning of the show that they don’t know who Liza Minelli is, Koch continues to check in on them each time she makes a reference, ensuring they understand what’s going on before moving on with the show. One of my favourite lines, which comes from a callback? “Hitler killing Hitler is the ultimate carbon offsetting. German efficiency . . .” - you’re going to have to see the show to get the full effect of this one!

Olga Koch Comes From Money is a hilarious, unrelatable yet surprising poignant hour of comedy about what it is like to grow up wealthy and the things Koch has learned about the world. We may not all come from a world of caviar and yachts but we can certainly find the fun in Koch’s stories. 

Olga Koch Comes From Money runs until 21 December at Soho Theatre.

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