By Andra Jenkin

Date/Venue: Thursday 17th May, 2018 - Q Theatre, Auckland

Lauren Mabbett and Marika Jackson are a delight. The gregarious duo have a conversational tone and a natural dynamic together which is like watching besties discuss their Daily Dilemmas. It's a magazine style show with an opening skit, engaging talks with the audience and each other, and some pure stand up for the second half.

Here we see Marika's vulnerable and awkward on-stage persona, and feel very much like we are let into her life. She has great gags about her sister and boyfriend, and is thoroughly relatable. She's practiced and smooth and knows what she's doing. She turns an awkward moment into something wonderful the audience can laugh along with. 

Lauren confidently tells us a horror story about flying that has the audience in stitches. She tells a series of increasingly embarrassing stories that we can both commiserate with and laugh at. She's at ease on stage. There's an interrupter among us, and while she doesn't immediately shut him down, she makes a joke out of it, riffing on his weird interjection. A little later, when it goes with the joke she shuts him up and it's perfect. 

It's all about those difficult moments when things don't go your way, and the friend that is there to hear about it. They may be first world problems, but they are the things that challenge us, because "life is hard" so why not ignore your problems for a bit, have a drink and divert yourself with a lovely night of comedy with Lauren and Marika, enjoying their problems for a change.