Matthew Mitcham’s ‘Twist and Turns’ had it’s world premiere at Fringe World. The trampoline loving, Olympic winning diver and author, who can strum a mean ukelele, added another string to his bow as his foray into cabaret paid off.
Mitcham appeared on stage dressed as a school boy, playing his ukelele and singing Pink Martini’s ‘Sympathique’. A sweet start to the show that gave the audience a few moments to take in the presence of Mitcham, let’s be honest – he’s incredibly handsome, the surrounds of ther Speigeltent and the realisation that Mitcham can sing really well.
The Olympian is soon joined on stage by accompanist Jeremy Brennan and cabaret star Spanky. Mitcham begins the story of his life introducing us to his humble beginnings growing up in Queensland on Dorothy Street in Camp Hill – joking that there was no chance he’d grow up straight with that address.
He shares tales about his mother, who appears in a pre-recorded form, his discovery of trampolining, his move into diving, his discovery of gay life in Brisbane’s clubs at just fourteen and his challenge to balance his wild child partying with the discipline of training for an Olympic sport.
Along the way a great range of songs are effectively woven into the storyline. Recalling a time when his mother refused to pay the electricity bill and the family lived by candlelight and entertained themselves with a wind-up gramophone, the trio launch into ‘Five Foot Two and Eyes of Blue’ from the 1920’s. Mitcham shares his plunge into 90’s club life with a mash-up of Black Box’s ‘Ride on Time’ and Who Da Funk’s ‘Shiny Disco Balls’. Later tracks by Irving Berlin, Dan Bull and Lisa Mitchell, and the Spice Girls are effectively utilsed to drive the narrative forward.
A highlight is Mitcham’s slow take on New Order’s ‘True Faith’, (a tune that George Michael massacred when he slowed it down), Mitcham sings the tune as a ballad and it’s heartbreaking. The show’s penultimate moment is a solid delivery of a Rufus Wainwright showstopper.
During the show Mitcham follows a tightly worded script. Written by Spanky the script is a safety net for the unseasoned performer. It’s an effective encapsulation of the main parts of Mitcham’s autobiography but at times the delivery of the spoken parts of the show come across as theatrical rather then personal. During the show Mitcham effectively deals with a couple of hecklers, showing that he has genuine zeal as a comedic performer. I’d expect as the show progresses, the scrip will become less important and Mitcham”s character will shine through more.
Similarly the pre-recorded sequences with Mitcham’s mother are awkward, he should just tell us what she said. Throughout the show costume changes are effective as Mitcham is preseted as a school boy, a club kid, a diver, a son and and a partner.
The opening night performance was rewarded with a well deserved standing ovation. ‘Twist and Turns’ may not be the most comedic or most dramatic, or most outrageous show at Fringe World but it is forthright and honest. Here we have a world class athlete sharing a message about what it takes mentally to succeed, to forgive yourself, and accept your successes and failures for what they are – and that message is shared in a way that few people, without a lifetime of theatrical experience, would be able to pull off. It’s a remarkable feat, one that Mitcham deserves a mountain of praise for.
….and somebody give him a record contract ASAP.
Twists and Turns is playing in Da Parel Speigeltent in the Perth Cultural Centre at 6:00pm until Saturday 8th February. Grab tickets at Fringe World.
Graeme Watson
