They say no one is perfect, but young Matt Mitcham may just be such a thing despite past indiscretions.
In the week up to seeing the show, I immersed myself by rereading his memoir and constantly tweeting my excitement (and no I'm not employed by him, just an eager squealing fan boi!) Rereading the memoir was a helpful thing as I was interested to see what could be condensed into a one hour intimate cabaret show. And like a book to film adaptation, you ask yourself which was better and if the adaptation was a success?
The answer is a resounding hells yes!
The most moving thing for me was the fact that Mitcham not only personified his depression in a form of a self hating bitter queen, but he successfully avoided the old cliché of the black dog. Too long has depression been personified as such and thus in my opinion had its meaning decreased. The fact is his depression is a central "character" in his life story thus far; by having it on stage and so central, it places a high focus on mental illness and thus encourages a greater focus on it.
But enough of that; that's just but one part of its awesomeness.
For an individual who (I'm assuming) has little vocal training, boy can this man sing! I hadn't viewed his YouTube channel before heading into the show, so hearing him sing was certainly a first for me. I'm no expert, but his vocals were very soothing and enjoyable to listen to.
I must highlight right now the mention/ performance of his gold medal winning performance at Beijing 2008. It's hard to describe the magic of not only his vocals, but his interpretive dance style. All I can say is that it reminded me of the musical style of the alternative band Antony and the Johnsons; but more specifically their collaborative presentation Swanlights (which has only been performed 3 times in the world).
It's hard to really describe the rest of the show except to say bravo! You'll have a wonderful time seeing Matt bringing his memoir to the stage; while not essential I would highly recommend reading it before seeing the show.
Now when's the next performance- I'm off to see it again!
Road trip anyone?