Type – Independent Theatre, Solo Theatre, Australian Theatre
If you liked – Nowhere, Hannah Maxwell, Debra Oswald
My First and Last Solo Show: A stunning triptych of mothers and daughters
The intergenerational relationships of women, and the psychological effects of less than ideal situations and broken homes are a well-trodden patch of storytelling, but none have done it the way My First and Last Solo Show does. The work pulls the rug out from under our expectations from the outset by turning the piece from a solo show into a powerful duologue between two eras of mother and daughter. It also wins the award for best titled show of the year in my opinion!
Created by Natalie Rose, an utter force of nature in the youth and wider arts industry, and co-starring her very own daughter, Mabelle Rose. Running at just over 60 minutes, the piece unpacks the often fraught and intricate issues of family violence and legacy, framed largely as a series of verbatim conversations between Natalie and Mabelle about what the show should be and how Natalie is doing as a parent.
Hysterical as these conversations are, smattered with ad hoc injections about everything from extremely specific McDonald’s orders to questionable driving skills, as they go on they reveal the layers of Natalie’s own fears. Revealing reservations she holds about her own parenting, and how her childhood has influenced it – it is from this we meet the surprise third performer. Natalie’s mother. Who only appears through the medium of audio recordings, or at several points being overdubbed by Mabelle.
This production is a stunning example of collaboration between practices and generations. Director Clare Britton has humbly directed this piece, and navigated the more confronting moments of the piece with such care for not just the material and the women on stage, but the audience.
Lighting designer Tyler Fitzpatrick once again proves why she’s one of the most sought-after artists in the business right now. She, along with Troy Reid’s set design, adds literal and metaphorical elements of texture and meaning, including those moments when Natalie is veiled or engulfed in generations’ worth of material and memory.
A particularly outstanding moment is Natalie’s ‘Apology Dance’ to Mabelle for all her ‘failings’. It’s bonkers, riotous, and the right amount of “oh mum please stop – like right now” cringe. Mabelle does her mother proud and proves the talent apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
In the final moments of the piece, we see Natalie listening to what feels like a final conversation with her mother suffering from late-stage Alzheimer’s and really unable to recall more than the things in front of her. With nothing left to lose, she opens up to her mum about her childhood and the long-lasting effects it has had. It was at this moment, I felt like I had been winded. With a grandmother in an identical position and similar conversations had over the years, something reached up from within me and completely wrecked me for days after. It’s truly one of the only shows this year to cause such a visceral reaction – and that is what great art should do.
Is MY FIRST AND LAST SOLO SHOW Worth Seeing in SYDNEY?
My First and Last Solo Show is a production filled with excellence, empathy and epiphanies. And I, for one, welcome the era of industry powerhouses, such as Natalie Rose, walking the walk, and showing the generations of young people in her charge, that she can do ‘this all too.’
While at the time of writing, this heart-rending piece of theatre has concluded its initial season, I have no doubt it’ll be on the road soon, outrageous Macca’s order on the app, and all, and when it launches itself onto a stage near you – snap up a ticket, but bring the tissues.
Tickets and Practical Info for My First and Last Solo Show in SYDNEY 🎟️
Campbell Town Performing Arts Centre
