Ash Traylia Talks Sh!t | The Ice Cream Factory | 1,7,8 Feb | ★ ★ ★
Ash Traylia Talks Sh!t is a late night comedy chat show that is truly cooked… in the best possible way! Raucous, wild and wonderfully unhinged, at its heart this is an improv show. As such, it leans into the wild spirit such works afford themselves. But this is also where it hit major problems: drag can be so damn wonderfully punk, but drag should never be a drag. Or drag on over time.
Ash opened the night with a great rendition of a Laurie Anderson number which was so wonderfully poignant for this moment in time. As Perth’s self-professed “least popular drag princess”, Ash has such unique charm on the microphone and a sense of style to match. She’s witty, astute and gorgeously trashy. Having sound effects accompany the show was a really clever touch too.
The panel of queer comrades joining Ash were, by-and-large, just as incredible. Alissia Marsh (from Fringe show King Of The Lesbians) is one of the most charming young queer comedians WA has to offer. Her comedic styling is so genuine and vulnerable that she can flip the mood in a second, which is masterful to behold. And her intersex advocacy should be applauded… and it was, heartily.
Not to be outdone, Jacinta Larcombe (from the highly anticipated Fringe show SLUTDROP) also shone. An ex-stripper come gender-bending performance artist, Larcombe is one of those rare talents who can shock you with her audacity and then bring you in, nice and close, with her sublime storytelling. Larcombe has an undeniable X factor, making her one to watch.
Cooper Cooper’s spot number was a high energy yet loose rendition of The Knife’s Listen Now, another wonderful song to perform to. Their enthusiasm was delicious and the whole Deluxe tent clapped along at double time. Unfortunately, Cooper’s storytelling wasn’t as focused and lacked the bite of the other guests. But that spot number? Worth it.
Now for the drag… this show ran overtime. This is not cool. Especially for a queer show. Why? By engaging in queer safe spaces we consent to the constraint of those spaces: when they begin, what will occur, and when they are expected to end. Queer audience members are hyper-vigilant of their safety in Northbridge after a certain hour and if you miss your last bus home… well, that Perth Train Station is a horrible place for an openly queer soul after midnight (and not everyone has the privilege of catching an Uber on a whim).
The first three quarters of Ash Traylia Talks Sh!t were sheer inspired mayhem. Honestly, Ash was on track to getting nearly all the stars. But I’ve settled in the middle, largely because this work does need some railing in. And the time issue? I’m gonna put that down to opening night teething problems and a feeling of oats. So if Ash and Co apply a little rigor, focus and time management, this show could actually blow you away because, quite frankly, it has the potential to do so.
See Ash Traylia Talks Sh!t on 1,7,8 of February at Fringe World.
Scott-Patrick Mitchell (SPM) is a non-binary performance poet and writer with over 20 years review experience. SPM appears in Contemporary Australian Poetry, won the 2019 Wollongong Short Story Prize and has created such stage works as The 24 Hour Performance Poem.
