Sex Idiot By Bryony Kimmings Is Outstanding At The Garden Of Unearthly Delights – Adelaide Fringe Review

The Garden Of Unearthly Delights’ Le Cascadeur, Thu Feb 26 Unpretentious, ribald, confronting, funny and emotional; I think this might be my new favourite thing this fringe. Bryony Kimmings presented a show that is theatrical, compelling and daft. It’s not a spoiling anything to explain the piece is the story of her tracking down more than a decade’s worth of lovers in order to find out who had given her a dose of Chlamydia. And the story is told with songs, poems, music, acting out and some pretty hardcore but avoidable audience participation. Do not let those two words deter you from going. A ‘journey’ show is always fun and the frank autobiographical elements were completely riveting. Visually it was a treat, the stage decorated with enough flowers, twigs, feathers, beads and birds to open a voodoo emporium. The comic dance she used to begin the show, in imitation of a birds’ mating ritual, was accurate enough to make me think we’d seen the same David Attenborough documentaries. Kimmings narrated her own story with childlike simplicity around adult themes. The piece was interspersed with comically rude and harsh songs that reflected her unfiltered emotions. The pursuit of exes where she sought to make amends for bad break-ups and behaviour felt like part of a twelve–step programme, and it wasn’t a surprise to hear about brushes with mental health and drink. This is not remotely a ‘poor me’ show. Kimmings is funny, fierce, vulnerable, passionate, at times downright terrifying and speaks for every one (doesn’t she?) with her ‘What I Will Do To You And Her’ song, a piece to which we’ve all written our own lyrics at some point. Brionny Kimmings and her show are spectacular and moving. There’s nothing else to touch this in Adelaide right now. Julia Chamberlain Sex Idiot By Bryony Kimmings continues at The Garden Of Unearthly Delights’ Le Cascadeur from 11pm until Sat Mar 14. Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 or adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.