Review: Olga Koch: Fight, The Basement, City Screen, York, February 28

OLGA Koch cannot be contained.

The fact that she’s hampered by a projector confining her to just one area of the stage doesn’t stop Koch’s energy from showing itself in fits and bursts, high-kicking and high-fiving with plenty of exuberance and bravado.

Riffing off her surname could create the impression that the entirety of Fight is a bed of lewd jokes but that’s not the half of it as Koch leads the audience through a story of genuine intrigue.

Koch’s confidence is a factor that keeps her dissection of Russian politics and history from turning dry. The show’s centred on Koch’s father and his involvement in some of Russia’s most notable political moments in recent decades, and to accompany this is an excellent set of photos and videos to really immerse us in a sea of nineties lifestyle. Koch’s annotation of her family photos is a constant source of witty asides, showcasing strong comic instincts.

Faced at times with an unresponsive crowd, Koch does well to keep the energy afloat, although a couple of irritated quips threaten to topple the effortless sheen she casts over the show.

Fight makes for a thoroughly enjoyable hour of storytelling comedy, injected with some unexpected additions. Koch notes this in her musical number to close the show (accompanied by support Huge Davies, a surreally deadpan musical comedian), acknowledging that a ballad to dating younger men doesn’t have much to do with the story of her father. Though with his career trajectory, should we be surprised that Koch is similarly unpredictable?