[Laughing Through It]
Grief, intercourse and race will not be solely three distinct phrases that sum up the themes and speaking factors of this comedy-musical, however the present additionally amalgamates them collectively to explain a singular expertise and frame of mind: the grief-sex-race.
Creators and performers Jess Karamjeet and Sophie Gibson share fragments of their lives with us, centred round their ‘unfortunate thing in common’ – grief. The lack of a father to sickness; the lack of a brother to suicide. Grief has permeated their expertise of the world, typically in stunning and humorous methods. Over the course of an hour, they elucidate by way of sections of music and stand-up how grief and intercourse can weirdly overlap, and focus on the intersection of familial relations and tradition.
Karamjeet has a delicate charisma which fuels her comedy in a singular manner, making her a pleasure to look at. Gibson’s musical abilities are clear and, although this was her first time doing stand-up, she was capable of match Karamjeet’s fast humour. Both performers have been extraordinarily relatable and had the viewers in stitches quite a few occasions.
Some sections (although humorous) felt a bit tangential, and I want that they had spent the time inspecting grief in additional depth. As somebody who’s by no means felt such grief, I hoped to achieve extra perception into the expertise. Although I loved listening to concerning the unusual ways in which grief and loss of life can produce comedy, I couldn’t assist however really feel that we have been solely scratching the floor.
There was, nevertheless, a pleasant second in direction of the top of the present, in the course of the grief-sex race (which was a factor!), the place lastly the true weight of grief started to permeate. Jess was too drained (and maybe defeated) to proceed the race. Sophie sat together with her, and Jess knowledgeable her that this race has no end line – a beautiful metaphor for the continuing exhaustion of grief. The two then shared an intimate, quiet second. Suddenly they weren’t focussed on us anymore, however solely on the house in between one another. We have been aware of a second of real friendship and empathetic comradery, through which music soothed and uplifted. I believe this second might even have lasted longer, to permit us to actually sit in it, earlier than the considerably abrupt flip again to the viewers, to optimism and comedy.
Although Grief-Sex-Race was a humorous and considerably shifting romp, the present felt a bit tough across the edges, and never in a very intentional manner. I believe there may be room to discover and interrogate the themes extra deeply. I, for one, would like to see one other iteration of the present that takes the creativity of the ‘grief-sex race’ and applies it all through. Nevertheless, Grief-Sex-Race is a superb evening out for comedy lovers. It’s a present concerning the therapeutic energy of laughter, with contemporary and infrequently absurd humour, and performers which are a pleasure to look at. Karamjeet and Gibson clearly have a wealth of potential, and I can’t wait to see the place they go subsequent.
Grief-Sex-Race performs Q Vault 30 August to three September, 2022 as a part of Auckland Fringe.
DECLARATION: Jess Karamjeet is a Theatre Scenes contributor.