Review by Lucy Holz
Internet-sensation Ashley Gavin begins her set by telling us that this show should feel like therapy. We may laugh, we may cry, we may do both at the same time. Gavin herself adopts this mentality, and she undergoes a wild ride of emotions throughout her hour onstage.
Feeling more like a one woman show than a standup set, Gavin takes us through her tumultuous journey from childhood to now. The death of her father and her mother being a ‘wild cunt’, are major topics of discussion, as well as her 28-year long relationship with her therapist Fred.
Her vulnerability is to be commended, Gavin leaves it all out there on the stage. She does carry that American tendency to over-explain the joke, feeling the need to analyse a line that the audience loved, rather than move on to the next piece of material.
Gavin reveals that she has always been a perfectionist and has been overanalysing her work since her parents were filming her skits as a child. This tendency to dissect the audience reactions as they’re happening does put a significant damper on the laughs. As an audience we are constantly being told we’re not laughing enough, not giving enough of a reaction or being told the reason we’re not laughing is due to our own personal shortcomings, rather than the material itself.
The content of the show is heavy, covering her suicide attempt, cancer and the relentless homophobia she has experienced from those close to her. It is a humbling experience to be given an insight into the inner workings of her mind in these moments, and if the huge line to meet her after the show is anything to go by, her fans feel the same way.
This show has great potential, as does Gavin herself. The material is there and she is a captivating storyteller, with the show’s shortcomings only coming from her getting in her own way. With a long line of sold-out performances in front of her, it is certain she will continue to hone her craft and create something truly exceptional and moving.
Image Supplied