Presented by Brink Productions Reviewed 6 November 2014
Lally Katz really wants to spend her time writing about the Hope Dolphin and the Apocalypse Bear, characters she invented and dearly loves, but for some reason Directors keep asking her to write them out of her works. Katz could not be less committed and inspired when instead of writing about such fun fantastical subjects; she is commissioned to write a play about the global financial crisis.
Stories I Want To Tell You In Person is the hilarious and true story of writer Lally Katz (author of the highly acclaimed play Neighbourhood Watch) and what she was actually doing while she was supposed to be writing a play about the GFC. It’s an endearing tale about fortune tellers, curses, being head over heels in love with a “full” Jew and finding triumph in your darkest and most pathetic moments of tragedy. Katz bravely plays herself and demonstrates that her flair for comedy is not confined to her writing desk, as she takes on a variety of delightfully colourful characters and accents.
Directed by Anne-Louise Sarks, Katz has a very warm, honest and self-deprecating style of humour and wins the audience over in her first two minutes on stage. It’s wonderful to see an audience become so entranced and involved in story telling that they actually begin to verbally participate by enthusiastically responding to and sympathising with Katz’s side-splitting confessions.
In a perfect example of less being more, the simple production design by Ralph Myers perfectly suited Katz’s uncomplicated yet effervescent style, as did the lighting design by Damien Cooper and Max Lyandverts’ audio.
This charming production presented by Belvoir and Malthouse Theatre is a standout among a recent plethora of one-woman comedy shows. The difference being that Katz’s story is fearless, clever and engaging and she delivers it without ever once making the audience feel like they are watching a cliché.
Reviewed by Ceri Horner
Twitter: @cerihorner
Venue: Bakehouse Theatre
Season: Until November 8
Duration: 80 mins
Tickets: $38.00
Bookings: BASS 131246
@BakehouseTheatre
@BrinkTheatre
@LallyKatz
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