Raw, honest, and hilarious. Brace yourself for a wild ride.
Presented by: Frontier Touring
Reviewed: 5 May, 2023
If you don’t know who Abbie Chatfield is, there’s a good chance people are going to tell you that her show isn’t for you. But I had very little idea who she is, and I was thoroughly entertained. Chatfield’s Trauma Dump Tour is a bit of a wild ride, but if you like your entertainment raw, honest, and funny, it’s a great night.
The show, held at Thebarton Theatre, was packed with a predominantly female crowd. You would think by looking at the lack of men there (I think I counted six), that we might become targets to Chatfield’s material, but the few men who were there looked to be enjoying it just as much as their fellow female audience members. This show has successfully been promoted to Chatfield’s targeted audience.
I can see how Chatfield could be considered polarising. But that’s not because her opinions or statements are controversial. More because she feels no need to adhere to the societal expectations of what a female in the media spotlight should do, say, or think. There are no airs and graces, no faux personality. Chatfield is herself through and through, and she comes across as honest, humorous, and impossible not to like (Disclaimer: Right wing conservatives, you’re not going to like her).
The trauma stories Chatfield chooses to share in this show have been chosen by her strictly for her live audiences, so I won’t reveal any of her content here. I think it’s her delivery that really sells it though. Chatfield is a great storyteller, again without sticking to the mould of what people think a great storyteller should be like.
2023 is Chatfield’s second Australian tour, and I get the impression she has enough material (and followers) for a few years yet. You can get more acquainted with Chatfield through her hugely successful podcast, It’s A Lot, or her national radio show, Hot Nights With Abbie Chatfield. But if you’re hoping she’ll disappear from the spotlight sometime soon, I think you’re going to be disappointed.
Reviewed by Doug Phillips
Photo credit: Jess Drews
Venue: Thebarton Theatre
Season: SA performance was on May 5
Duration: 2 hours
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