Finding Felix: A Memoir | Ellington Jazz Club | Until Feb 15| ★ ★ ★ ★
Judging from Maverick Newman’s performance at the Ellington Jazz club last night, I would never have guessed it to be his debut cabaret. At only nineteen years of age, Newman has a confident stage presence which I mistakenly thought only came with age. His show Finding Felix: A Memoir, combines cabaret, storytelling, poetry- even rap, to narrate the humorous, politically infused melodramas of one Felix Bright as he comes to terms with the fact that he is um…well…gay.
The emotional Felix Bright makes a dramatic arrival onstage, tossing packets of tissues into the crowd so people will cry at his oh so sad anecdotes. However, as he sits at his piano and begins sharing with us the trials and tribulations of his teenage years, the only response he evokes from the audience is laughter. It is this dichotomy between what Felix perceives to be misgivings, and what the audience perceive to be comic situations, that give the show its humour.
Before the show, I have to say I thought the idea of a nineteen year old having memoirs to be a bit of an oxymoron. But it truth, Finding Felix is a nostalgic reminder of how one’s teenage years are rife with crises of self worth, rocky moments of insecurity, and self-realization. However when shared through the medium of song, and accompanied by jazzy piano pieces, it makes the whole affair rather more lighthearted.
As the show progressed I felt the character of Felix grow in confidence and audacity, and after conquering his own insecurities, he tactfully begins to confront some broader issues of discrimination in Australia, which were by and large well received by the audience.
This lead the show to have some more poignant, political moments. Newman cleverly uses the entertaining problems of Felix as a gateway to explore some very real incidences of homophobia in Australian society. We hear about an unsavoury bumper sticker he saw on a ute, but rather than lament, he performers a witty song that turns homophobia on its head, and exposes the contents of the sticker for its unreasoned and contradictory nature. That’s what I liked about the show: Newman has a knack for tackling sensitive political issues such as immigration and marriage laws, while keeping moral high and the laughter flowing.
Maverick Newman is probably the most personable performer I’ve seen this Fringe season, and the energy and conviction of youth makes this one man cabaret is fresh, witty, and thought provoking. So if you’re free this Wednesday, do come join Felix as he embarks on a journey of comic self discovery at the Ellington Jazz Club.
Finding Felix: A Memoir has one more show on Wednesday February 15th. Tickets and more information available from fringeworld.com.au
Conor Duggan
