Smiling Through The Human - Show Review
Show content warnings: Coarse language, themes and mentions of depression, panic and briefly touches on suicidal ideation.
Grace Colsey (they/she) greets you to our mundane dystopian world of the present day. Are we meant to simply be cogs in a capitalistic machine where we dread aging and social comparison, or is there more to us humans than we know of ourselves?
Colsey’s debut cabaret show, Smiling Through The Human is a deep dive into their lived experience of being neurodivergent in this world and the misconceptions and misunderstandings associated with neurodivergent people.
Discreetly joining the stage, Colsey lets the audience know that they’re on stage, ready, and about to delve deep into our lives. At first, the audience may perceive that this is a rant about the mundaneness of the tasks which we face every day, however, it soon quickly transforms to a critical and vulnerable story of their life to date.
From their schooling experience, to finding their first job, exploring different perspectives, and ultimately just trying to hold everything together day by day, Colsey truly embodies theirself throughout their performance.
Performing their original songs throughout the show, Colsey’s vocals are powerful and striking. You can distinctly feel and see the emotions which they are expressing. Indeed, there are various moments during their performance where you can sense that they are portraying a true depiction of a panic and anxiety attack they have experienced in the past.
The flow throughout the show shifts quite rapidly through different segments; one moment the audience is encouraged to giggle at Colsey’s satirical take on a topic, but the next moment will invite you to question your own soul, your place in this world, and how other humans perceive one another.
Additionally, there is a ringing phone which continuously rings and interrupt’s Colsey’s performances, leading the audience to anticipate the significance of its constant ringing.
In hindsight, the constant ringing of the phone and the creative direction of the show draws a parallel with Colsey’s lived experience of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which both convey the complexity and chaos which can go on inside our minds.
The show is indeed quite weird, but in a tasteful manner (all of us humans all have some weirdness inside of you and me).
Colsey has put their bold, vulnerable, and quirky self on the table for her debut performance, and has given a clear indication of their performative art style for their future productions.
Smiling Through The Human will bring tears to your eyes and make you take a step in the shoes of a neurodivergent person.
Rating: ★★★★
