Gluttony – Carry On, Fri 12 Feb
The price of fame is not a new concept but it’s one that’s taken on a new significance since the rise of reality TV and social media-made fame all that more attainable.
mediawhore is the story of April Fools, reality show contestant, social media devotee and all round terrible person. What follows is a cautionary tale of how narcissism and ambition can become an unholy combination with one simple Instagram double tap. April’s pursuit of notoriety is disturbing at best and apocalyptic at worst. This is how the world ends, not with a whimper but with a tweet.
Isabella Valette is a talented performer, playing the vapid and stupid April almost a little too well and committing to every uncomfortable moment. Even throughout the technical difficulties which plagued the show, it was April, not Isabella, who handled the situation with ease.
Valette really shines in the musical numbers, taking popular songs and replacing the lyrics with on-point social commentary, while still belting out the power notes with the best of them. The inspired Kasey Chambers cover, expertly skewering white privilege and the subsequent white guilt, is alone worth the price of admission.
While the show does touch on the impact social media obsession can have on a person’s mental health, it really only brushes the surface and means the big emotional reveal didn’t have the resonance it should have. The black humour on display won’t be for everyone, but there are enough jokes about boobs, terrible reality shows and the rise of hipster coffee snobbery to appeal to the very generation being mocked.
As a reflection on modern society mediawhore is a successful, if sad one. It will certainly make you think twice about reaching for your phone once the show ends.
Nikki Mott
mediawhore continues at Gluttony – Carry On from 10.50pm until Sun 28 Feb.
Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 or adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.
Gluttony – Carry On, Fri 12 Feb The price of fame is not a new concept but it’s one that’s taken on a new significance since the rise of reality TV and social media-made fame all that more attainable. mediawhore is the story of April Fools, reality show contestant, social media devotee and all round terrible person. What follows is a cautionary tale of how narcissism and ambition can become an unholy combination with one simple Instagram double tap. April’s pursuit of notoriety is disturbing at best and apocalyptic at worst. This is how the world ends, not with a whimper but with a tweet. Isabella Valette is a talented performer, playing the vapid and stupid April almost a little too well and committing to every uncomfortable moment. Even throughout the technical difficulties which plagued the show, it was April, not Isabella, who handled the situation with ease. Valette really shines in the musical numbers, taking popular songs and replacing the lyrics with on-point social commentary, while still belting out the power notes with the best of them. The inspired Kasey Chambers cover, expertly skewering white privilege and the subsequent white guilt, is alone worth the price of admission. While the show does touch on the impact social media obsession can have on a person’s mental health, it really only brushes the surface and means the big emotional reveal didn’t have the resonance it should have. The black humour on display won’t be for everyone, but there are enough jokes about boobs, terrible reality shows and the rise of hipster coffee snobbery to appeal to the very generation being mocked. As a reflection on modern society mediawhore is a successful, if sad one. It will certainly make you think twice about reaching for your phone once the show ends. Nikki Mott mediawhore continues at Gluttony – Carry On from 10.50pm until Sun 28 Feb. Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 or adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.
mediawhore: Narcissism and The Reality of Reality TV – Adelaide Fringe Review
mediawhore: Narcissism and The Reality of Reality TV – Adelaide Fringe Review
2016-02-13
Adelaide Fringe Contributor
Nikki Mott
User Rating: 4.64 ( 4 votes)
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