5 stars
Fate, belief, and an incredibly detailed prediction are explored in the hilarious and touching You’re a Good Man, Dr Pirate.
Anyone familiar with Gillian English’s work will find there’s a definite tonal shift from previous shows, but English still has elements of the fire and brimstone preacher we’ve come to love.
Image courtesy of Gillian English
English’s exceptional, high-energy storytelling is enthrallingly addictive. Her rapid-fire, exuberant delivery is captivating, and her skilled use of tone and pace add distinctive texture to her spoken word performances.
In this new show, English tells an epic personal tale that’s truly remarkable. Building momentum as she strings anecdotes together, interwoven with punchy asides, English conveys a complexity of experience we can all relate to.
Her performance is flawless, and command of the room astounding.
Having layered several punchlines in quick succession, the space is vibrant with laughter. Without missing a beat, English turns the narrative and swiftly has us fall to silence—we're rapt.
You're a Good Man, Dr Pirate is a dense show, packed with observational humour, satire, and glorious depictions of extraordinary situations. Its narrative structure, particularly, is remarkable. English presents cohesive and multi-layered storytelling that dips in and out of the detail relevant to the show’s title in an uplifting and uproarious barrage that only she can carry off.
There's a lot to love about this show, not least of which is English's take on the work of C S Lewis that will surely stay with audiences long after the performance.
Pacing the stage telling tales of youth, guile, wisdom, and honesty with palpable passion, English provokes thought beyond our expectations. Speaking without a shred of the inauthentic, she has us beyond certain of the paradoxical reality that is the worth of questioning everything and the wonder of inexplicable events.
Whether you’re sure of belief systems or not, You’re a Good Man, Dr Pirate will leave you with a refreshed desire to question innumerable points and never cross a Tasmanian paddock that a certain nesting bird has claimed during spring.
Tickets available from the FRINGE WORLD website.
JASMIN SEABROOK-BENSON