⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a half
Can a plumber fix their own pipes? Can a doctor take his own medicine, and can a man with ADHD review the latest Fringe Show “Maybe He’s Born With It, Maybe it’s ADHD”
The answer is of course yes, but this is a lot harder than all the other reviews I’ve done so strap yourselves in!
Perth comedian Colin Ebsworth performs an hour stand up set (complete with Power Point presentation) about what it was like growing up different.
He starts the show by clearly stating he is not here to give a TED talk, not to claim ADHD is a super power, and not go go through all the medical jargon of this condition. He instead gives his story about schooling and growing up in a family who didn’t really want to acknowledge the issue and how society and school were not the best supportive environments for children like him.
But he does do it in a very funny and comedic way and it doesn’t get heavy until right at the end.
The problem is, if you go to this show and you have ADHD as an adult there is going to be so much that resonates with you.
ESPECIALLY if you went through your schooling life un-diagnosed. When he put a lot of his school reports on the screen with how the teachers talked about him you literally could have scribbled his name out and put mine on as I too had many of the same remarks.
Growing up in the 90’s it was a very different time. Both my kids have been diagnosed and the support I have given them and ensured the school does too is the difference between getting a gram of sugar and being given a block of chocolate. If I took my kids, or in fact, anyone under the age of 20 to this show I don’t think they would fully get it because they have grown up in a world where we have become more understanding about neurodiversity and more supports are available.
While Colin is very funny and seems like a cool person at a party, this show has a very specific audience. So if you have ADHD, or your partner, or your kids have it you will really get into Colin’s story. If you are over thirty and the above applies you may be triggered with childhood experiences some of us would rather forget.
I love Colin’s energy and outlook. He was constantly bringing the crowd up and said he doesn’t want to be a comedian who does crowd work to make fun of people when it is so much better to find the awesome stuff in them. I really liked that and that message stuck with me as I left the show.
Speaking of the end, and here is where I may get some pushback, I found it was a very clever and heartfelt way to finish the show, but I also know when I am being emotionally manipulated.
Throughout, the whole show it was a very light hearted/pull the piss kind of routine. It was very casual and while you could see Colin trying to tick off the important point he had prepared, it was a lot of improv and playing with the audience.
At the end however, it got serious.
What started off as if it was more jokes turned into a monologue which a lot of emotion was poured into. You could see the hurt Colin had to endure with his family and schooling- everyone hoping he would just stop joking all the time and be serious, focus, and just to…stop.
The lights started dimming and soft music was playing underneath. Tears were in his eyes and I saw many in the audience fully locked in to his words, with more than a few people also wiping tears from their own eyes. The monologue continues but as the emotion continues, so does the hope and as the lights and music rises, he thanks everyone and then leaves the room abruptly. This leaves a large emotional impact on the audience and I heard a lot of praise for it after the show.
However, Colin early in the set told us how he did acting and I can recognise a professional performer when I see it. It is also the kind of thing I would do as well. The emotions he portrayed I believe are 100% genuine, the best art comes from the truth, but the lighting and music with such raw emotion on his face, at least to me, felt performative. It was a good and convincing performance don’t get me wrong but was such a whiplash from the rest of the show it made me take specific notice. But maybe that was the point?
So, should you see this show? I’d say yes! It is a good show but the style and of course, topic, may not be to everyone’s taste.
Not all ADHD people are the same and while the manic energy and jumping from topic to topic so quickly may appeal to some, for me I would have liked a little more organisation (but hey! I’m also 90% sure I have un-diagnosed ASD so that might be a ME problem).