Sunday, June 15, 2014

Review: (Montreal / Theatre) James Mullinger Is Living the Dream (Fringe)

Oh! Those embarrassing relics!
by Élaine Charlebois

In this one man show, James Mullinger delivers a highly energetic and charismatic performance. In his charming, self-deprecating manner, Mullinger invites us to laugh whole-heartedly at his life stories. Focusing mainly on his awkward and difficult formative years, the comedian guides us through his life-long attempt – and failure - to “live the dream”. 

Sharing embarrassing relics from his teenage-hood and early career as an interviewer to the stars, Mullinger allows us to openly cringe at his failures. One particularly hilarious segment was when the showman projected drawings from his schoolboy years onto the screen of the MainLine Theatre. Reminiscent of a scene from the movie Superbad, Mullinger’s art work consisted primarily of drawing large penises which were attached to misshapen human figures. This display of hand-drawn images was then interspersed with passages from the comedian’s diary from when he was a teenager, namely those pertaining to his desperate desire to lose his virginity. 




Throughout the show, the comedian continued to trigger some laughs by displaying his great ability to turn the discomfort of coming of age into comedic material that is relatable. Although the audience was small, bursts of laughter filled the room throughout the piece. Overall, Mullinger’s consistent interaction with his spectators and his relentless energy made for a fun and intimate comedy show. Enjoy!

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