Presented by The Thinkergirls: Stacey June & Kristie Mercer
Reviewed 13 March 2015
Every Fringe there’s those obscure little shows that aren’t headliners, but still look like they’d be lots of fun and worth checking out. Thinkergirl: The Podcast LIVE, promoted as the “ultimate girls night out”, looked like one of these, but was sadly disappointing.
Taglines for the show included the likes of:
“Is Instagram depressing you?”
“Does it really matter if you’re good in bed?”; and
“Why do we like bad boys?”
The crux of the show is to explore such ideas that apparently everyone thinks but doesn’t talk about. Presenters, Stacey June and Kristie Mercer have a regular podcast available on iTunes and, if you’re really interested in this, I’d advise just tuning into that rather than spending your money on this mediocre show.
It started promisingly, with audience members being handed slips of paper and instructed to write down something they’re thinking, but not saying. Given the state of the building we were in (The Tuxedo Cat – The Coffee Pot), it’s inaccessibility to anyone with mobility issues (the “theatre” was at the top of about 50 flights of rickety stairs), and the visible holes in the wooden floor boards, I wrote “I hope we don’t fall through the floor”.
Later, when collected by “Phil the Duck” (more on that later), my thoughts were dismissed as offensive. Fine, but other members contributions were also collected and some were read aloud before the girls moved on to their pre-prepared discussion topics without any further reference to the audience’s thoughts: an entirely redundant and pointless task in the end.
Stacey and Kristie were joined on stage by Adelaide comedian, Lori Bell. Ms Bell perhaps saved this show from being a total disaster, but only just. Each girl had a topic they wished to discuss and the aforementioned Phil the Duck (a woman in a fluffy yellow duck suit) wrapped up each segment when it ran too long.
Kristie spoke about what it means to become an adult (apparently getting home and contents insurance, home internet and dishing advise to one’s parents about covers it), Stacey spoke at length about an inappropriate massage experience she’d had, and Lori lifted the bar with a conversation about “bridges” that was actually a discussion on sexuality and photographs of penises.
Stacey and Kristie were probably in their mid-twenties and while they certainly have the gift of the gab, at times stumbling over one another to talk, they’re not particularly witty, insightful, funny or clever. In fact they’d probably only appeal to those who are 20 going on 12. The show was advertised as being 45 minutes long, and thankfully it only went for 30. That’s the best thing I can say about it.
Reviewed by Samantha Bond
Twitter: @sambond
Rating out of 5: 1.5
Venue: The Tuxedo Cat @ The Coffee Pot, cnr James Place & Rundle Mall, Adelaide
Season: 12-14 March 2015
Duration: 45 minutes
Tickets: $22
Bookings: Book through FringeTix online or at a FringeTix box office (booking fees apply)
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