Through the MICF outing Seriously?, Sydneysider Kitty Flanagan shows she’s not just a funny lady. In this new show, she explains the special powers of the woman over 40 – such as being invisible – whilst being modest about another consequence of life experience. Flanagan possesses comedy maturity and a unique voice able to speak about problems without whining.
Seriously? follows on from recent national tours of Charming and Alarming (2011), and Hello Kitty Flanagan, which received acclaim including a Barry Award nomination at MICF 2013. Those shows drew inspiration from cultural currents, often with memorable results; her bit on why 15 is a good age to be a mother (they’re like ninjas!) is a classic.
Flanagan continued some of that observational style in this performance. She shared her thoughts on the modern trials of having a retail experience when you just want to do some shopping, and why people in their 30s hang on to the wrong partner for much longer than they would have in their 20s.
Flanagan also has thoughts on bloggers, dog people, being immature for her age, and the 20th century’s best invention. Some of these are woven in with stories of past relationships, which makes this a more personal show than others. Fans of past offerings will appreciate that Flanagan continues to enjoy a rant, and play with characters and accents. Also returning is a musical finale with sister Penny, bookending the show’s theme of the challenges of middle age.
It might seem that Flanagan delivers a familiar style of stand-up, with a loosely related selection of subjects. The advantage of her ‘middle age’ though is that she’s become very good at her craft; there’s no filler or reliance on shock value here, and her free-flowing diversions always join up neatly with the stories.
There was a good crowd in at the Playhouse, which partially explained the volume of laughter. However, the frequency of these bursts clearly shows the benefit of an in-form performer taking the business seriously.
Kitty Flanagan Seriously?
Playhouse – Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne
Performance: Thursday 9 April 2015 – 7.00pm
Season continues to 19 April 2015
Bookings: 1300 182 183 or online at: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au
For more information, visit: www.comedyfestival.com.au or www.kittyflanagan.com for details.
Image: Kitty Flanagan (supplied)
Review: Jason Whyte