Bella Noonan - You Should See The Other Guy

Bella Noonan is punk rock. This thought comes to me the minute she climbs onto the stage of the Motley Bauhaus Cellar singing Björk’s “It’s Oh So Quiet” in hot pink shorts and sparkly eyeshadow. It’s a bold and kooky opening for a debut stand-up hour, but it immediately sets the tone for her juxtaposition of high-brow references with off-kilter edginess. 

Noonan possesses an Amy Taylor charm with a Dan Rath-like delivery, a combination dangerously unique to her. It’s a fairly solid hour, and Noonan succeeds in delicately walking the tightrope of being funny, clever and subversive. There is a snappy, self-deprecatory tone to her punchlines, but she always veers away from being the martyr. You get the sense that Noonan is totally in control every step of the way.

The bulk of the set addresses some pretty heavy subjects, which is a story I’m glad Noonan is comfortable with sharing. I do, however, wish the hour overall carried a stronger structural throughline to properly strengthen the impact of these topics. The show ends rather quickly, with Noonan earnestly performing Scar by Missy Higgins. While it's a great track that amplifies how much of a rockstar she is, I would have loved a more satisfying conclusion, especially considering her song choice up top was so memorable. 

With some directorial finetuning, You Should See The Other Guy has knockout potential and could position Noonan as one of our next best storytellers. An undeniable performer already, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for what’s next to come.

Bella Noonan, You Should See The Other Guy
The Motley Bauhaus, 9:45pm