4 stars
Part musical, part sketch show, part love story, LET ME FINISH is completely empowering, unapologetic, and open-hearted.
A hilarious all-girl journey through the pitfalls of being a girl, a woman, and a sexual object this show has audiences gripped all the way to the end.
The five actors in LET ME FINISH are all stars, with each bringing their own humour and insight into the experiences of growing up a girl in Australia. The women act out snippets of daily life—from being groped in a nightclub, to being talked over by older men, to making excuses for their boyfriend’s bad behaviour, to feeling the pressure to conform to a one-size-fits-all conception of body image—and the audience responds instantly with the kind of relieved laughter that signals a shared understanding.
Image courtesy of FRINGE WORLD
The issues dealt with in this performance are serious, and there are brief moments when the audience senses the weight and long-term impact of the problems facing women, both through the recognition of a common experience and the expertly delivered and highly personal shared stories of the cast.
No subject is taboo with the performance exploring, comically and poignantly, women’s rights across a broad range of issues.
Leaving little untouched, from white feminism to sexual consent and female pleasure, LET ME FINISH reinforces the power of the female voice and the all-important imperative of female friendship and love.
It may sound heavy going but the cast manage to pull the audience through with laughter, energy, and some beautiful harmonies. Even the most raw and exposing moments of self-confession are deftly handled, given both gravity and humour in a way that makes it easy for the audience to relate to.
LET ME FINISH is everything a female comedy act should be: riotous, touching, superbly presented, and with an underlying grain of truth that makes the audience’s brain tick over through their smiles.
Tickets available at the FRINGE WORLD website.
SUZANNE MOORE