Adelaide Fringe 2013
Love in the Key of Britpop
Emily Andersen
Genre: Poetry-Based Theatre
Venue:
The Tuxedo Cat – Red Room, 199 North Terrace, Adelaide
Festival: Adelaide Fringe
Low Down
This one-woman monologue about finding the Englishman of her dreams is a compelling narrative – young love, dizzy dreams, Britpop and the reality of transcontinental romance are the key themes of this performance. Emily Andersen is a talented writer and knows how to capture her audience’s imagination as she cleverly weaves the lyrics of her favourite Britpop songs in her own work.
Review
This one-woman performance is captivating story about a young Anglophile Melbourne woman who meets the Englishman of her dreams—their love for Britpop is the foundation of their relationship. Despite overcoming issues such as visa marriages, politics, and the practicalities of living in inner city Melbourne, they soon realise that Britpop is not enough to sustain their relationship. They realise that ultimately he is too traditional, too conservative, and too Australian, while her dream of living in London and being part of the alternative scene is unwavering.
Emily Andersen narrates the story with ease and her passion for all things English is evident in her vivid descriptions, metaphors, and references to classic Britpop lyrics and musicians to the extent that she often refers to their personal lives. The script is indeed poetry and a combination of past narrative and present-day reflections that flow seamlessly.
The stage is set up as an underground poetry club where the background is minimal and spotlight stagnant so as not to detract from the performer. However, this performance would have benefitted from some theatre, such as lighting variation when the script detoured from narrative to reflection, and stronger audience interaction—a wink, a nudge, dramatic pauses when appropriate. For a recitation of this length the lack of theatre and mise en scene seemed somewhat monotonous.
Love in the Key of Britpop is an enthralling narration that has all the ingredients for a winning story—romance, comedy, a soundtrack for all key moments, and hope. The script is the star of the show and Andersen performs with heart and soul.
