Fringe World Festival is back in Perth despite the hardest of hard borders in WA but the local talent is shining, with Lisa Woodbrook‘s It’s Not Me, It’s Definitely You: Songs of Amy Winehouse & Lily Allen a fine example.
As a supremely talented vocalist, Woodbrook’s show – as the title suggests – contains plenty of Winehouse and Allen classics with her own twist on the lyrics, which are cleverly interwoven into her spoken dating tales in the modern online world as a single woman in her late 20s.
Woodbrook is relatable, engaging and funny. She has a towering stage presence, aided by the Rechabite’s set-up on this night, but a strong yet endearing and reassuring level of self-confidence.
Her vocal talent is clear to hear, but her show really is about the laughs and they flow. It didn’t take Woodbrook long to disarm those in attendance at Thursday night’s show, with her willingness to engage the audience, such as requesting a show of hands on who’s single and who’s in a relationship or asking for those in a relationship to reveal what their partner says in the bedroom.
But rather than be offput by her inquisitions, they enhanced Woodbrook’s tales, such as reflecting on men posing with fish in photos on Tinder, creative sex positions with a new lover, first dates, ghosting and seeing an ex in public with their new partner for the first time.
Woodbrook even lost her composure when she “put her back out”, while she wasn’t helped by a few untimely mic issues, but she was never flustered.
She has a great energy, not only with the audience but also her backing band, while her stories are real, relatable and wittingly told to ensure the laughs don’t stop. Throw in her fabulous musical talent and you will not be disappointed.
Once those borders open up, she’ll be on the road again and don’t miss out.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The season for this show has ended, but don’t miss out on the rest of Fringe World to 13th February, with tickets available via this link.
