What: Safety Banana
Who: Three Feet
Where: Loft at A Club Adelaide
There’s an enduring inner struggle many of us deal with. It’s that tug-of-war between wanting adventure and freedom and wanting to settle down with that special person. In Safety Banana, Jacinda Patty presents a charming autobiographical look at the struggles of a hopeless romantic caught between her wanderlust and her conservative family. It’s a show with many endearing moments, but one that is unfortunately rather brief and could have been developed further.
Jacinda turns the theatre into the waiting room of a hostel, chatting to the audience as if they are her fellow travelers. She’s waiting for the latest man she earnestly believes to be ‘the one’, despite increasing hints that he’s not showing up. Meanwhile, her ‘safety banana’ assumes the role of her sensible inner voice, trying to bring her down to earth and quell her flights of fantasy. It’s a clever, entertaining idea that dramatizes the disconnect between what she wants and the reality she lives in.
Clocking in at only 40 minutes, however, it feels like the show finishes as soon as it starts to get interesting. I would have liked to see some of the themes developed a little further, especially the relationship between Jacinda and her overbearing, traditional ethnic family.
We’re also treated to some dance interludes. Patty is a skilled trained dancer, and she shows off some impressive moves (the rollerblades were an especially fun touch!). In some places, however, the songs drag on a little and don’t add much to the narrative. A little more storytelling woven into the choreography might add more purpose to the dance numbers.
Patty is a charismatic performer and she does a great job, especially for her first ever solo show, and I certainly look forward to seeing whatever she comes up with next.
3 out of 5 stars
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