Brighton Fringe 2026
Jenny Zed’s LOST THE PLOT
Jenny Zed
Genre: Absurd Theatre, Cabaret, character comedy, Devised, LGBTQ+ Theatre, Queer Theatre, Storytelling, Variety Show
Venue: The Actors Theatre
Festival: Brighton Fringe
Low Down
It’s true what they say – having a memorable flyer at the Fringe is essential and this image for ‘Jenny Zed’s LOST THE PLOT’ was certainly that. Bold – Hypnotic – Zannyzooloo. Like it’s flyer, this show did not disappoint – I felt lucky to have experienced the inner workings of Jenny Zed’s mind, who produced and starred in this one-hour variety performance. The amalgamation between live theatre, irregular sounds and projections here really worked, guided by Jenny Zed’s deadpan sarcasm – fully loaded with one-liners. If Jenny Zed’s mind was Mary Poppins’ handbag, reaching inside wouldn’t pull out your average table, but an onslaught of laughter with maybe a guest appearance from a leg of lamb. Joining her team, were a small cast of two, with wonderful comedic timing – the talented performers: Suki Maki and Surreal Artist Mandy Sweats – what a great trio.
Review
Expect some singing, lip-syncing, contemporary off beat dancing, surreal projections and some brilliantly timed slapstick humour. Drag, but not Drag Jenny Zed would say – or Drag meets the corporate side – you can decide, but you certainly won’t be disappointed!
Follow Jenny Zed – a hilarious, non-committal Drag Queen, lurky in the corners of the stage with her vivid face markings, eye lashes for days, a Commedia Dell’ Arte mask in tow and loose nighty, relaying her woes of different chapters she has experienced since studying Performing Arts for three years – this is a sentiment that many performers relate to, which is presented with ample sarcasm and timed charmed. She so desperately wants to be her true authentic self but now has to sign her soul away to the dreaded nine to five. Follow her journey as she embarks to get a ‘real job’, fleeting between utter absurdity with some wonderful characters along the way – don’t forget to do your homework, stay clear of ‘Hive Mind’ and buckle up for a non-sensical bundle of pure madness.
In the words of Jenny Zed, you must expect that ‘all sensibilities have been torn down’ and this is a great place to be, not really knowing the direction of the story, just that – everyone is looking for Jenny Zed. Easing you in gently to the story is an opening film of Jenny Zed chatting with her father, which is hilariously exaggerated and brilliantly timed, slowly zooming into the window as the conversation becomes more absurd. But hold the phone, where is Jenny Zed? A wanted sign is sent out for her – which in itself is pure art, supported by all the back handed criteria of what to look out for and the audience were loving the imagery with Zed’s subtle reactions. The surreal Arthur Brown ‘fire moments’ of heightened lip syncing amongst the ethereal feverish crimson backdrop is just what you want from a Cabaret Drag Act.
One of Jenny Zed’s first solo singing numbers was ‘Bonkers’, a wonderful up-beat segue into her life and set the tone well for the up-coming chapters of her life events. What broke the string on the camels back for the audience was the introduction of random characters dancing to the beat – a cow and a cockroach; what a great combination. This was a wonderful addition and paved the way for more purposeful projections to come.
Prepare to follow Jenny Zed into the unknown of the ‘corporate world’ – a trajectory that all creatives want to avoid, when the bank balance becomes the reality – there is no choice but to apply for admin roles. Greeted by witty Suki Maki, in pure demonic style – making it clear that you must sign your life away once this boundary into the office is crossed. The way Zed captures this inner Clown of the Drag performance here is hilarious, juxtaposing all the societal expectations of what to do on a first day – just arrive with barely any clothes on as that is what Jenny Zed would do. Actually Zed would miss the entire bottom half. This scene is utterly ludicrous, as Jenny Zed follows through to her new role in an office – but this office looks like something out of The Shinning which again, keeps the audience laughing full throttle, as the supporting imagery here is so exquisitely timed.
‘Some people think I’m bonkers, but I just think I’m free – man, I’m just living my life, there’s nothing crazy about me.’ This statement rings true throughout this one hour – and the laughs keep on coming – Mandy Sweats’ performance of the fictional Husband is pure genius, with the body moving so slightly that all our attention is drawn to the ambiguity and sheer scale of his peculiar head dominating the space – what a treat. Sweats’ stage presence was memorable and without saying much, her performance was lasting – a master class in playing the fool in these dreamlike moments. It’s wonderful when you go to see a show and the surprises keep on coming, this mask was beautifully grotesque and warranted even more of our joy when Jenny Zed spoke so lovingly to her newfound husband in a loose American Accent, totally unpredictable.
In parts, there were some minor pacing issues – but as the show progressed Jenny Zed found her rhythm and got back on track, even when her performance didn’t go to plan she would be sure to let the audience know and play on this to her advantage – a sign of a performer comfortable with improvisation and reading the room. The audience interaction really worked in places, more of this please. There’s one thing for certain, that the whole room concurred and would honour Jenny Zed’s statement, ‘I love Drag. I love my Drag. Especially, my Drag.’ I look forward to seeing her future performances and the work of her supporting talented Cast – what an hour well spent that truly flew by in the hub of the wonderfully intimate Actor’s Theatre.
