Review | Neurodiversity Unmasked: an admirable but unfulfilling show

Neurodiversity Unmasked | Connections Nightclub | Until 11th Feb | ★ ★ ½ 

The great thing about Fringe World is that it has a huge diversity of theatrical experiences on offer ranging from circus to burlesque, drag and acrobats, theatre, music and everything else you can think of in between, and often all in the same show.

When the different ingredients are mixed just right, an hour-long show can be a rollercoaster ride of experiences, a tasty theatrical treat. When the combination is mismatched though, when it just doesn’t come together, that can be like a soufflé that’s failed to rise.

Hosted by Kitty Obsidian Neurodiversity Unmasked offers a look into life journey of a person who is neurodiverse through performance art, burlesque, singing and poetry. All of the performers are themselves neurodiverse.

The show strings together a series of individual performances, ranging from a drag number from Blake Cassette to Aria Scarlett signing an operatic version of Radiohead’s Creep. Burlesque performer Sian Brigid mixes bubbles and fire, while elsewhere there were dances with feather fans, and dollops of poetry. Cabaret star Cece Desist sang I Am What I Am from Le Cage Au Folle, but it lacked the essential gusto.

Joining these together were some short dramatised scenes, but as the performers did not have microphones and struggled to project their voices. I couldn’t hear anything they said, and I was only in the fourth row.

There were also drawn-out scene changes and set up times, while the host filled us in with tidbits of information about neurodiversity. While there were moments that piqued my interest, there was not enough in this show to keep me fully engaged.

See Neurodiversity Unmasked until 11th of February. For tickets and more information, head to fringeworld.com.au

Graeme Watson is an editor at OUTinPerth. He has a background in journalism, creative writing, dance, theatre, radio and film working as a performer, producer and writer. Graeme writes for a variety of publications and has been working as a reviewer since 1997.

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