Obsessive and slightly neurotic, Hilary Cole plays upon her
quirks and idiosyncrasies in this lighthearted one woman show about trying to
make it in the musical theatre world. Cole reflects on both societal obsessions
such as technology and her own addictions, featuring Rubik’s cubes and counting
in multiples of five. Throughout the one-hour show, she dazzles the audience
with old school cabaret charm interjected with moments of pure comedy gold.
Cole uses the familiar constructs of cabaret to present an
interesting and innovative show. She is
self-deprecating and self-aware, but one only wishes she would’ve pushed these
aspects of the performance to their extreme. But Cole, undoubtedly, has a strong
voice, well suited to musical theatre and cabaret, and her impersonation of
Bernadette Peters was right on point.
Her satirical approach to the industry is refreshing, as is
her ability to put playful spins on well-known songs. The show’s repertoire is
diverse and well suited to Cole’s musical style – furthermore, they are always
a relevant keystone for each new scene, each new step of her journey.
The show does peter out a little toward the end when Cole
takes a turn for the deeply personal, speaking about her current relationship.
It is a wonderful insight and a necessary sidestep, but I was left wanting her
to conclude with a little more sass. Although an interesting feature, the
romance and the sentimentality can seem too saccharine at times. The balance is
lost and you can only hope the strength she opens with will resurface.
Still, Cole’s performance exposes a vulnerability as she
opens up to the audience about her flaws, which she is able to forget through
her music. Although still very young, Cole captivated the audience with her
confidence and conviction, but perhaps a total fearlessness will develop with
time. It is early days for the young performer but there is no doubt that she
will go on to do great things.
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