Amelia Ryan. Spiegelzelt at Gluttony. 25 Feb 2018
Pregnancy and baby spew! What makes the reality of it comedy show-time viable? What’s more, Cabaret viable; seriously?
Well, Amelia Ryan’s The Breast is Yet to Come is a cabaret for parents where their pram sized short people are very welcome – particularly given the business of said short people coming into being is the subject matter. Naturally, said short people have no recollection of it. Ryan, and a sizeable number of the 99% female audience in the full house, bloody well do! Gentlemen note! More about you later.
Ryan weaves together a recognisable top-hits set of melodies with sharp choreography tearing up every myth of ‘why a baby’; from the relationship decision to procreate, to the theory of pregnancy ‘baby brain’. Ryan executes these in a manner which subtly manages to convey experiences recognisable to her female audience, building a kinship with them, while archly having a dig at the existence of such myths surrounding natural experiences.
Garbed in a lovely blue one piece gown, sparkling ear rings, and perfect hair, this archness is deliciously accentuated in performance. My, doesn’t the woman who gave birth four months ago look marvellous! This dig was aided by use of a Humpty doll wrapped in a blanket as a surrogate baby passed around the audience.
Which brings us to the baby daddies. Ryan’s warm and easy engagement with the audience is for all. Yes the gentleman cop a serve, but it’s in the indirect, comic, yet inoffensive way you’d hope a good relationship chat might work.
It’s when Ryan pulls a pair of trackie dacks and a t-shirt, with a baby bump, over her glamorous attire that she really shows off a delightful skill for making a serious point with great humour and warmth, directly involving the near two handfuls of daddy babies in the audience.
David O’Brien
5 ‘twinkle, twinkle little’ stars
When: 24 Feb to 11 Mar
Where: Spiegelzelt, Gluttony
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
