Review: OLGA KOCH: PRAWN COCKTAIL, Soho Theatre

“30 is younger than 28”

From the beginning, Olga Koch: Prawn Cocktail gives audiences the chance to see Koch at her wittiest and dirtiest, usually both at once. Koch begins by showing us one of her three tattoos, a little shrimp on her foot (and no, she didn’t know what “shrimping” was at the time). But, that “mistake” fits right into Prawn Cocktail. The theme of the show? Reframe, reframe, reframe. Reframing as a form of comedy, reframing as a form of coping, this show has got it all. 

Koch is someone who is, in her own words, “admin for horny and horny for admin,” telling the audience about how she and a man (“Freddie”) planned a trip to Japan together, flirting over spreadsheets and planning out hotel rooms (there is also a great bit about finding happiness in figuring out the administrative tasks of a threesome). It is a joy to watch Koch tell her stories, cleverly tying in scenes that might have seemed impossibly separate at first. 

Towards the middle of the show, Koch goes into the subject that she wrote her dissertation on, one that has fascinated me for years - parasocial relationships. I loved hearing about her thoughts on the subject, particularly how she was able to tie humour into an interesting sociological look at how “reply guys” view themselves and the women they admire on social media. Koch is also able to tie in her trip to Japan with her research, referring to the “Paris Syndrome” and the own expectations she has set herself. 

I won’t go into any spoilers, as it truly is a show you need to see, but the ending is absolutely perfect and nearly had me on my feet applauding Koch’s actions. Ultimately, Olga Koch: Prawn Cocktail is a delightful and dirty show that has a surprising amount of self-reflection sprinkled throughout.

There is no need to reframe this review - Prawn Cocktail is fantastic!

Olga Koch: Prawn Cocktail ran at the Soho Theatre from 23 to 27 October. 

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