Presented by Frankly
Reviewed 3 March 2022
Frankly gets frank with her one-woman spoken and musical expression of her dreams, fears, loves, hates and bucket-loads of (valid) emotions in a humbling show that’s reminiscent of the original talented local performers and producers who created the Fringe festival.
This one-woman show is a vulnerable spoken and musical expression of Frankly’s many (valid) feelings, as well as her take on life’s many events and experiences. From the pressures of aging as a woman in an increasingly superficial society and the less-than-average standard of sexual education in Australia, to dealing with the loss of beloved grandparents – she covers a wide array of topics.
Alongside an electronic keyboard piano, the audience receives honest social commentary with personal memories, stand-up comedy and self-deprecating humour (plus possibly the best winged eyeliner at this year’s Fringe) within Frankly’s self-written songs and chatter with the audience. Some of her songs are similar to the musical comedy of Tim Minchin, with poetry-like, witty lyrics that are also backed up by powerful, silky and passionate vocals which stand-out this Fringe. Her vocal fieriness and unpredictable intonation is also reminiscent of the witty, passionate and entertaining vocals and song composition of Amanda Palmer from The Dresden Dolls and hits like Coin Operated Boy.
Frankly balances her self-deprecating humour, sassy wise cracks and funny stories (including a previous Fringe audience member who was intoxicated to the point of losing bowel control), with more sensitive tales. In a world where emotions are frequently reacted to negatively (labelling of “snowflake”, having valid emotions gaslit), Frankly embraces her emotive side, encouraging the audience to do the same in the safe space that she has created. She opens up to the audience about serious life events such as the grief of losing her loving grandmother and a heart-wrenching breakup, both of which inspired some of her moving, emotional songs, and are relatable life experiences.
The set is simple – an electronic keyboard and microphone on a black stage with a black backdrop in a small upstairs room at the Producer’s Hotel (which is great to see alive again with quirky characters and Fringey vibes). This simplicity is a refreshing balance to the over-the-top glitter and glamour of other Fringe productions, and is a humbling reminder of the festival’s roots, focussing on entertaining local talent on a small budget and what it can provide to an audience.
Frankly is definitely one to watch at future Fringe festivals as she has impressive vocals, song-writing skills and a likeable stage-presence that could see her being a hit at Gluttony and/or the Garden in the future. She also shows great potential for future fun collaborative works with other Fringe artists as her personality would bounce well off another stage presence.
Most of the humour within the show is a hit, though there are some misses. These misses aren’t enough to ruin the fifty minutes, or make it un-enjoyable, but are something that can definitely be worked on. This could be some minor re-writes or more confidence within their delivery, as a more spur of the moment take on scripted jokes can often soften their landing with the audience.
Don’t just see the big-budget shows this Fringe – make sure to indulge in the local, smaller-budget talent that comes out this time of year and get back to the humbling roots of this huge cultural festival with The Alchemist of Feelings.
Reviewed by Georgina Smerd
Venue: Upstairs at Producers Hotel / The Nairobi Affair Lounge
Season: 4th March – 13th March 2022
Duration: 50 mins
Tickets: $13 – $18
Bookings: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/the-alchemist-of-feelings-af2022
Rating out of 5: 3.5
#Adelaide #ADLFringe #AdelaideFringe2022
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