Review: Wendy Houstoun / Watch It!

Watch It! Is an hour long one woman imaginary game show, where Wendy Houstoun plays herself. She has to watch what she says, if she says something “out of line” then the buzzer sounds. She starts performing her set as a comedian, and the buzzer goes when she says something that is offensive. The game show turns more sinister when it enters her daily life, and it turns out that even her dreams are part of “Watch It!” There is no prize for winning, but her career as a comedian is at stake if she loses.

It begins in an enticing way, with Houstoun going on a journey through the 80s and 90s, effortlessly combining comedy with spoken word poetry. When she lands in 2024, she gives a thought provoking picture of how everything seems up for criticism online, and how this can shrink self expression.

A section where she wraps herself completely in a red sheet is a little confusing, but also enhances the abstract feel of the whole piece. Perhaps it illustrates how confined the character feels by being bullied for being outspoken. Houstoun is an outstanding actress and draws us easily into the performance. There are laugh out loud moments, as well as points which feel open to interpretation and leave you wondering what the underlying message is; is it that cancel culture is restrictive, or is it that people are afraid that they can now be held to account?

Either way, Watch It! combines movement, poetry, comedy and music in ways I’ve never seen before to create a thought provoking show.