Plan B is a one-woman performance art show more than a stand-up comedy DVD.
Maria Bamford does comedy here but the whole is very different from your usual story set-up for punchline routine. Plan B features Bamford’s many voices and characters and her usual disjointed stream of consciousness storytelling. The comic takes a little getting used to and is not for everybody. Plan B will impress those who “get” Bamford.
The premise is similar to that of the 2009 Comedy Central CD Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome in that Bamford focuses on events after her nervous breakdown. The CD and this DVD are very different in terms of material.
Maria Bamford fans will find themselves in known territory as the usual characters and a couple of familiar stories show up in Plan B. One of these is the high school friend who is now a cashier where Maria shops. What is different on this DVD is the show’s structure. Plan B requires a lot more concentration that the, relatively speaking, more lightweight standard Bamford routine.
I have always been very ambivalent towards Bamford. I can see Plan B is an excellent show but I failed to go along for the ride. My loss, really.
Plan B is a low-budget production as to staging. All there is is the artist, a chair, and a white background. It is as if Bamford is asking you to fill in the blank. Occasional black outs separate scenes.
Special features on this Bamford DVD include a commentary track featuring the comic’s parents, various short scenes with Maria at home and around town, and a ten-minute gig in Melbourne. Check out our Stand Up! Records page for solid stand-up comedy downloads and CDs
Plan B
Maria Bamford
Stand-up Comedy DVD
Stand Up! Records 2010
60 minutes
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highly recommended DVD. Keep an eye on Buress. He is going to be huge.
