press / reviews

	"NEXT! is the best comedy show in town" Carrick.biz
	"With its well-written script, perfect timing and presentation, this hidden gem is thoroughly recommended. It deserves an award for excellence!" Counter Culture UK
	"NEXT! is a gem. The venue is rather small so book in advance if you don't want to miss this audition!" Lovefringe.com
	"NEXT! is earnest, and even at its most outrageous, feels genuine. A brilliant performance by Kendrick." AcrosstheArts.co.uk
	"Kiki Kendrick's irresistible one-woman show is a fantastically energetic and brilliantly observed autobiography of an auditionee." Whatsonstage
	"You'll laugh out loud and cringe with embarrassment." TNT Magazine
	This is theatre and comedy at its most raw and exciting." Camden New Journal

www.thecarrick.biz/kerrscorner/mt-search.cgi?search=kiki+kendrick

www.acrossthearts.co.uk/news/artsblog/across_the_festivalsaugust_22_2010/

edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/event/10003638-next/#comments

www.whatsonstage.com/features/theatre/edinburgh/E8831281433171/Alison

countercultureuk.com/2010/08/14/edinburgh-fringe-next

"NEXT! is funny, warm, insightful and, despite the many theatrical rejections it portrays, is wonderfully life affirming. Don't miss it!"
Peter Souter, writer, ITV's Married, Single, Other

"NEXT! is "wide-eyed and open-hearted, Kiki's eternal optimism in the face of the ritual humiliation of the audition process is hilarious, toe-curling and touching. A tour de farce!"
Nina Myskow, writer and critic, judge on ITV's New Faces

"NEXT! a humorous and endearing look at the acting profession from the fraying edges of the casting couch! Kiki's triumph is in her hilarious portrayal of adversity through the audition process."
Lynne Parker, founder Funny Women

"NEXT! it takes courage to laugh in the face of rejection - Kiki Kendrick succeeds admirably in her entertaining one-woman show as she relates a selection of funny, touching anecdotes about the agony of the acting audition process."
Karen Rosie producer BBC

Audience Reviews (courtesy of Remotegoat)

	What's it like to audition? - Margaret Morley
	Cracking fun. Hilariously engaging distractinism - Ben Carpenter
	Clever, funny, engaging, smart, relentless - Niki Fforde
	From head, heart and soul. The most personal play I've seen - Robin Smith
	Hugely entertaining one-woman show - Rob Groves
	This is what it's like to audition - Margaret Morley

Audience Reviews (courtesy of What's on Stage)

	This clever one-woman show takes a backstage look at the most dreadful aspect of acting for a living...auditions! Kiki Kendrick draws on her own experiences as an actor in a witty & self-deprecating account of a jobbing actor's life. Highly recommended. - David & Trish
	Very funny show and quite moving in parts. A great performance from Kiki Kendrick which comes from the heart as well as her funny bones. - Karen Rosie
	I am so glad I saw NEXT. Kiki gives such an authentic and powerful performance which mesmerizes from start to finish. The time flies by as she takes us through a forensic view of her quest for the perfect 'non tarty' role. She makes clever use of technology and comic timing. This is a witty and emotionally raw script which had me living every painfully embarrassing audition moment with her. I still have images of that toilet scene.....eeeeuwwww. A show not to miss! - Una McGarvie
	This was a truly amazing show. Kiki Kendrick's show is pure genius! I can't remembr when I last enjoyed a show so much - are there any more? I recommend this to anyone looking for a great night out! - Ruth Twort
	NEXT! Funny, yet with poignant moments. Kiki put her heart and soul into her performance. A terrific show and worthy of a run in the West End. - Joyce
	This was the second time I have seen the show and I loved it as much as the first. Kiki is simply brilliant, she knocks seasoned TV performers into a cocked hat. She is funny and gorgeous - I can only think that Peter Kay didn't want to me upstaged. She is a talent that richly deserves a much greater profile. - Gill Nash
	Funny, moving and witty. Good work! - Nic
	Laughed my head off - Helena
	A hilarious and deeply honest look at the world of the struggling actor. Be prepared for a roller-coaster of a ride on the audition stool. - Barbara
	An unusual view into a behind-the-scenes world that is ripe with comedy and pathos, exploited to the full by Kiki Kendrick for a memorable night of quality theatre. - Sharon
	A riotous laughter packed experience that is clever, raw, honest and poignant. A real feat of writing and performance. Hats off to Kiki for accomplishing what others have not dared try. - Kate
	A rollercoaster ride of emotions.Be prepared to laugh lots, cringe even more and cry just a little. - Helen Jones
	Really funny show. Smart and touching too. Absolutely flew by. - Steve K
	Great entertainment! Kiki was dynamic, funny, and showed emotion. I thoroughly enjoyed it. NEXT!!! - Soraya Pethick
	Real good fun was entertained from start to finish. Especial enjoyed how Kiki has turned a negative in to a positive, if you did not see it yet you're missing out majorly. - Kezia
	Extremely witty and poignant show - beautifully written and performed by Kiki Kendrick. Kendrick's passion shines through in her portrayal of the precarious life of an actor. Be prepared to laugh and cry - a 'must see'!... - Mandy - Mandy
	Extremely witty and poignant show - beautifully written and performed by Kiki Kendrix. Kendrix's passion shines through in her portrayal of the precarious life of an actor. Be prepared to laugh and cry - a 'must see'!... - Mandy
	funny, observational - jelka aldridge
	Incisive comment on the difficulties of getting into and past the audition for any actor or actress, with a wonderfully comic twist from an actress with a wry sense of humour and a delightful optimism that carries you along with her. Go see it! - Niall Kirkpatrick
	Builds and builds. What is so enjoyable about this piece is that towards the end you realise it has real purpose. For anyone who is, has ever been or who dreams of a life as a performer, this is a truthful account of what it is really like to put yourself out there. Stay in and watch X Factor, sure, but Kiki's performance places is you in the uncomfortable reality of the audition process and highlights the sacrifices true performers make for their careers. Awesome! - Marcus O'D
	Beautifully written and performed. Running themes seamlessly thread in and out and give depth to the show, making it in the end not just about auditions but about survival. The audience are wholly engaged with each anticipation followed by let down, but it's always funny and never depressing. An envigorating and very enjoyable evening! - Jane Corbett
	what a fantastic surprise!one woman shows,particularly in small spaces can be excruciating but Kiki's performance backed by a tremendously realistic and beautifully crafted script made for a superb evening of theatre. - Marc
	Funny,sad,moving,real. I loved it. Kiki's performance was brilliant. This play should be seen by a wider audience. - Gudrun
	NEXT! should be in the West End, then toured nationally... funnier than 'Mums the Word', more risqué than 'Vagina Monologues', more poignant than 'Blood Brothers'. I have seen this show 5 times now and it still make me laugh out loud and brings a tear to my eye. - Eva Gray
	A very entertaining, yet poignant portrayal of the trials and tribulations of undergoing the casting process. Laughter definitely guaranteed. - Ken Payne
	Uplifting and moving at the same time. Laugh out loud funny, you're rooting for this hapless but so endearing woman from beginning to end,a must see for every actor/director/casting directtor oh hell everyone really, this must transfer somewhere. - Julie
	I've known Kiki for nearly twenty years, and it was only when I saw the show that I really got to know her at all. She has put her whole body and soul into this production - and it shows. From laugh out loud hilarious to soft and poignant and back again, this is the story of an actors struggle to get some action. I loved it. Fantastic performance, fantastic perfomer - if you're thinking about a career in film or TV, start with this play. - Julian Dyer
	Kiki Kendrick both entertains us richly and gives us a lot to think about in her brilliantly crafted one-woman show. She tells hilarious stories about the ruthless and often humiliating casting process that she and all of her kind (actors of course) have to endure on a daily basis, whilst plainly asking what it is about the profession that makes intelligent and sane people choose to suffer the indignities and hardships that are the daily life of most actors. Kiki's performance reflects her passion for the craft. This play deserves a wider audience. - James Clossick
	So moving, funny and very poignant. It was both hilarious and painful and offered insight into the drive to 'perform' act although it may involve personal disappointment and lots of hard work. A great performance by Kiki Kendrick - Kate
	Why is there no ****** option? If I click *** x2 would that do it? - Grilla Login
	I've always known Kiki was an extraordinary talent and was gutted that I couldn't make it to Edinburgh this year to see this show. So this performance at the Etcetera in Camden was a 'must-see' event for me – and I wasn't disappointed. A natural comedienne, Kiki's show could have been twice as long and I'd still be begging for more. So much to identify with for those actors in the audience – and a real eye-opener for those from outside the business. Kiki's tragicomic observations and anecdotes provided a hilarious show that left me both crying with joy and, at times, with sadness. With such a body of work behind her, you may wonder why we haven't heard more of the brilliant Ms Kendrick… well, watch this space! - Lee Thomas
	In Kiki's case, truth really is stranger than fiction and a great deal funnier - what a wonderful evening. - Suzie
	This was a great show, Kiki was fantastic. My wife loved her non-stop energy and vivacity. I loved the mixed media nature of the show. The way the AV content and film-montage counterpointed perfectly with Kiki's performance. The only thing that would make it even better is a bigger stage with bigger screens and a bigger audience. Which it should certainly have if there's any justice.- Dave Trott
	This certainly brightened up an otherwise cold evening! Next! is very funny, heart warming, as well as very clever. Kiki is a true star, and she engaged and entertained from start to finish. - Andrew Ludlam
	Brilliantly observed, well-written and very funny to watch. Who'd want to be an actor after watching Next? Anyone who can extract so much humour from what must be at times an excruciating process has definitely got what it takes. Kiki, I demand a sequel. - Anna Moult
	Edgy, funny and very clever. Kiki combines hard fact exposure of the audition, with the emotional reality of the trails and tribulations of her art. - harry lyon-smith
	Brilliant, very funny and an amazing performance from kiki. Would watch it again and again. - Angela Sleight
	Kiki's show made me laugh so much and feel better about my own recent humiliations in job interviews. Kiki moved effortlessly from being herself, the directors auditioning her, Peter Kay, her step-mum, a nurse, Sooty amongst others. It is almost impossible to imagine why Peter Kay didn't continue to use her but his loss is our gain. This is a fantastic bit of theatre. - Sophie Radice
	Really enjoyable one-woman show - and what a woman! Funny, self-deprecating, ironic. I loved it - and so will every actor in NY. It should go there! - Elizabeth Block
	What a wonderful way to spend a freezing Camden evening! I chuckled, I laughed, I even welled up at one point... such was the power of the stories and the hilarity of the characters portrayed in Kiki's self confessed and struggled career. She owns the stage completely, takes you on an un-envious ride of part sympathy, part admiration, as she recounts her dubious and often comical antics of auditions, agents and casting directors. Its a treat, and a pleasure to see. One is left uplifted! - Patrick Kilian
	I meant to give this 5 stars. - Brian Alvery
	While arts bigwigs prophesy doom over cuts to funding, some sisters are quietly - or not so quietly - doing it for themselves. Kiki Kendrick's one-woman show is exhilarating proof that if you've got something to say, the language to say it and the lungs, chutzpah and charm to get it across, all you need is a stage and an audience. Next! is a play ostensibly about auditions but it reaches far beyond the world of luvvies. It's clever, funny, sad, preposterous, embarrassing and in its sweet ingenue way, wise. Next! is an audition for life. You'll be sorry you missed it. - Laura Gascoigne
	Jane Fairman Maier November 26 at 3:08pm As a TV make-up artist with an actor for a son I was moved, engaged and entertained by Kiki's brilliant one woman show. Next reveals exactly what it is like to have your ego constantly bashed in the quest for a role on stage and screen. Even though scenes of disastrous auditions had the audience laughing loudly, it's a relief to know by the curtain call that Kiki's obsession with the acting profession is paying off! - Jane Maier
	This show is wonderful. You'll laugh, cry and cringe, sometimes all at once. You'll learn how to act the colour yellow and why the director had his trousers down (not what you think). You'll marvel as she acts both sides of a quick-fire dialogue and you'll believe there are two people. But most you'll appreciate the irony that such a force of talent should be applied to situations in which that talent is denied, ignored or abused. It's a marvel. - Brian Alvery
	NOTHING I can say about Kiki Kendrik's Next! that the extremely talented, very brave, observant and astute woman doesn't say for herself. I found myself laughing and suddenly realised I had been crying at the same time. The toe-curling horror at what actors like Kiki go through, just to get a part in a commercial, never mind "something more serious" is EXTREME. Kiki not only went through it and still is auditioning and still acting - ASTOUNDING! The consequences are DEVASTATING, TRAGIC and YOU will LAUGH-A LOT Kiki not only went through auditioning but still is! ASTOUNDING! Thank goodness for all, Kiki can laugh, cry and recount the consequences of her humiliation, hurt and joy for OUR entertainment. One must therefore say to oneself......... by the grace of God go I. Thank goodness I never wanted to be an actor, nor stand up comic. THANK GOODNESS FOR ALL OF US ..... KIKI STILL DOES. RAW, IN YOUR FACE, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. If you don't get in there and see this woman somewhere............ then I can only vaguely quote a woman I once met briefly: " you can't say you've lived if you haven't died first" WHERE EVER SHE IS PERFORMING...... Be there and learn about being human, or.............. be somewhere A LOT LESS INFORMATIVE, EMOTIVE AND INTERESTING! no matter HOW much effort you have to make to see KIKI...... I WON'T JUST DARE YOU NOT TO.......... I'LL DARE YOU TO GO. Get in there and get messy.............. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! : ) Ps make sure you book in advance and please be AWARE and COURTEOUS of reserved seating on the night ENJOY - YOU CAN'T NOT!! - Jacs Owen-Jones
	What can I say that hasn't already been said about this awesome show? Kiki is so personable and so funny, I can't believe she's not already a huge star. Brilliant little anecdotes really give you a feel for the absurd mortification actors have to suffer through for their passion, and Kiki lays herself bare with this bunch of worst-of-the-worst auditions! Great, great stuff, really loved the Colbert-Report-esque background commentary screen. I didn't stop talking about it for about a week to anyone who would listen. This show needs to be seen! Thanks Kiki. Now! Be yellow! - Laurie Jaques
	There's an old saying: "if they give you lemons, turn it into lemonade". That's precisely what Kiki Kendrick has don. She's taken all the negative feedback/setbacks she's suffered as a jobbing actor and turned them into this marvellously fun, engrossing one-woman tour de force. You'll laugh, you'll smile, you'll cry a little bit and go away with an impression of a strong, determined and talented woman who's surely going to be stellar one day. Mark Blanchard - Mark Blanchard
	Corking. I really wasn't in the mood for a one-woman show - the telly in the pub next door had a 22-man show about football that was more what I was after. BUT. Kiki's show was utterly engaging, endearing and entertaining - I didn't think of Tevez and the gang for even a moment, and that is the ultimate compliment, for me. NEXT is really very well worth an hour of your life, I promise. - Ben Carpenter
	Who in the world of film, television or theatre is gonna make a right decision + "Discover" Kiki Kendrick?! - Grilla Login
	Laughed loads, cringed loads and cried a little. Loved the way the show was put together. Really got a sense of the drama and emotions of the cringey situations described. Very very funny. What one will endure for their passion...respect Kiki! - Vicky
	A wonderful show deservedly playing to packed houses Forget the West End, the Etcetera Theatre is the place and Kiki Kendrick's NEXT! is the show to see. If it doesn't win an award we don't deserve live theatre! - steve handley
	Brilliant show. So true and very funny. Kiki gives a great performance. - Ed Law