Presented by Selina Jenkins
Reviewed 8 March 2015
Say g’day to Beau, your average flannelette-wearin’, bearded, fart-joke-lovin’ dairy farmer from outback Australia.
Also say hello to Selina Jenkins, the very talented woman behind the beard, who is bringing back one of our favourite characters to this year’s Fringe: Beau Heartbreaker.
Beau is an endearing sort of guy. He sings about having a beard (and how once you have one you can never eat a pie again without people knowing about it), recounts trips to far off lands and even gets pretty soulful and compassionate at points.
I speak as if Beau is a real person because Selina Jenkins is so good at what she does that it’s hard not to see him as one. Selina seems to have a naturally soft voice, but an incredibly range. She can sing like a song bird, wail like a jazz artist or become as tough and gruff as an outback country singer. Though there are points when it’s fairly obvious the grizzly-bloke in front of us isn’t all that he seems, Jenkins plays it off marvellously with self-deprecating humour and natural charm.
Beau Heartbreaker is a triple threat: he’s a great guitar player, a great singer and a great lyricist. What a guy! All the songs performed in this show are hilarious and pretty creative. Beau can write beautiful songs about seemingly anything, such as eating rodent stew in Western Mongolia and, while most of these are delightfully funny, he doesn’t shy away from touching on some emotional topics.
Beau Heartbreaker is a truly enjoyable, feel-good show. The message behind the whole thing, that no-one in the world should feel excluded for who they are, is an important one to remember. You’ll surely leave the tent feeling all warm and fuzzy inside and maybe a bit more compassionate.
Reviewed by James Rudd
Twitter: @james_wrr
Venue: Royal Croquet Club – The Rastelli, Victoria Square, Adelaide
Season: 8 – 15 March 2105
Duration: 60 mins
Tickets: $20 – $25
Bookings: Book through FringeTix online or at a FringeTix box office (booking fees apply)
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