Judith Lucy has perfected it. In her stand-up comedy gigs, Lucy shares awkward and uncomfortable stories about her personal hardships with a disarming frankness and classic dry wit that always leaves me, without fail, wiping tears of mirth from my eyes and with a sore jaw from laughing.
Rightly or wrongly, on the way to Rosie Waterland’s sold-out ‘Crazy Lady’ show (7 September) I was expecting a similar experience. Described as a funny story about mental health, I was expecting to gasp, at times cringe, but mostly laugh out loud.
Sitting on a couch sipping a champagne, Rosie discusses the life experiences and events that led to her nervous breakdown and suicide attempt last year. During the sombre moments, Rosie’s openness about her thoughts, feelings and experiences were utterly poignant and touching and I wholeheartedly applaud her openness on a topic that many still shy away from, however I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was watching a guest on an ‘Oprah’ episode. It was heavy, and for me, lacking any of the lightness of humour that I had expected from the marketing. With ‘Holy Oprah’ a favourite catchphrase of Rosie’s, perhaps this was intentional, however for me it was an utter downer.
The lighter moments, which covered (amongst other things) Rosie’s love of Dr. Pimple Popper (if she had the choice of one of her books appearing in Oprah’s Book Club or seeing, in real life, Dr. Pimple Popper in action, careful consideration would be needed), stealth farting technique, and her Brazilian wax experience at the age of seventeen, had many in the audience roaring with laughter, however confusingly and disappointingly, I (and my companion) seemed immune to the humour.
Moments that I did love were Rosie discussing Present and Future Rosie (so me) and the common misconception that you’ll make unlikely, quirky friends as a patient in a mental ward.
With a devout online following, two bestselling books, and a podcast that hit number one in the country, Rosie is undoubtedly a great storyteller. For me however, the comedy in ‘Crazy Lady’ got lost in translation.
Rosie Waterland Tour Dates
15 September – Her Majesty’s Theatre (Adelaide)16 September – Octagon Theatre (Perth)
23 September – Concourse Theatre (Sydney)
20 October – Theatre Royal (Hobart)
27 October – Athenaeum Theatre (Melbourne)
