Steve Sheehan – Less: Is More, Yeah? ~ Adelaide Fringe 2021 Review

[COMEDY/Performance ~ SA] Hell’s Kitchen at Rhino Room, Thu 11 Mar. A seemingly nonsensical, subtle satire about our growing disconnection with ourselves and with the earth we walk upon. “The fault… is not in our stars but in ourselves.” Shakespeare’s quote probably neatly sums up the plot of Steve Sheehan’s odyssey through the galaxy of his horoscope. Stopping off at the various planets along the way we find delightfully normal domestic settings. The banal becomes the vehicle to remind us of the super powers we all possess, while dealing with the daily distractions we call life. The name of the show says it all – ‘Less’ is more. But there’s no ranting pedagogy, no messages hidden between the lines delivered with deadpan downbeats. Sheehan’s soft voice and humble, gentle demeanour belie a staunch stand for the voices of ordinary people to be heard. The subterranean sold-out cellar feels like a refuge, a bunker or bomb-shelter. Hell’s Kitchen is really a little corner of heaven where sweet and simple absurdity trumps the madness swirling in the world above. The jokes come out backwards and sideways as if we’re shifting through different dimensions in this journey through the vacuum of space. Perhaps he could have referenced our obsession with those other stars, the celebrities who draw the constant attention of so many. Ridiculous and bizarre at times, but Steve is relentless in compelling us to challenge our own perceptions of what we believe to be real and true. As Steve says, when you stop worrying, well, there’s nothing really left. This is a crooning cry for us all to examine how far we may need to change before the stars go out for good. 4.5 stars David Cronin Steve Sheehan – Less continues at Hell’s Kitchen at Rhino Room from 10 pm until Sat 13 Mar. Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 or adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets. #ADLfringe #ClotheslineMag