Anna Emerson was billed as ‘an award-winning comedian, writer and actress, and one-third of critically-acclaimed sketch trio The Boom Jennies’. Regrettably this solo show only proves that a whole is often greater than the sum of its parts: on review of this show, she’d be advised to stick with her other two-thirds.
The show was wanting, not for preparation – a series of slides designed to amuse supported her story of legendary film star Patti du Pont’s ‘Oscar-worthy’ career – but for its premise (did she not get her colleagues’ feedback?) and the ease of hilarious presentation for which The Boom Jennies are highly praised.
Her performance as her mother du Pont’s stand-in (mother had rather unsurprisingly had an embarrassing surgical accident) did not stand up to scrutiny. Apart from Emerson’s lack of ease in the character which she did not inhabit but forced out like the amateur she really isn’t, the story just wasn’t funny, and lacked the perception of The Boom Jennies.
Emerson did not get off to a good start expecting a faux stammer to hook us; in the 21st century, laughing at disability is just not good show.
So disappointing because Emerson really does have talent.
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