Review: (Toronto) Adopt This! (Fringe)

Homo-erectus Adopticus
by Lisa McKeown
@lisammckeown

Daniel Bingham’s one-man show introduces us to the ‘homo-erectus adopticus’ – a window into the life of the adopted person. What do they eat? What do they do for fun? Are they like normal people? And this play is not just about any adopted person – it’s a personal tale beautifully written and performed about Bingham’s story of being adopted, his life with his adopted family and his reunion with “The Biologicals” in early adulthood. 

It is a story of pain and struggle and recognition and self-discovery. Bingham’s comedic timing is spot on, and he’s clearly very comfortable with the audience. He gestures to the darker moments of his childhood with an abusive stepfather and struggling mother, but at times shies away from delving into them too long, and I was left wanting him to dwell a bit more, as they serve as good counter-points to his sometimes cutting, very witty, and sometimes goofy comedy which had me doubled over laughing at times. It is a story of overcoming, and the audience craves a better sense of the anger and hurt that needed to be overcome before we can really feel the relief and joy of what is, truly, an everyday hero. 

Adopt This! is at the Toronto Fringe