[2015061] My Brain Made Me Do It
Freshly Ground Productions @ Tuxedo Cat – Rivers Studio
9:45pm, Sat 21 Feb 2015
Hidden under the “Theatre” section of the Fringe Guide was My Brain Made Me Do It, which teased me with the promise of short plays based on everyday accountability… which, given my own mental leanings, reeled me in straight away.
However, this septet of performances comes across more as loosely-linked sketch comedy than a serious attempt to elucidate about any mental health issues. And some of the sketches – The Tiger Woods Defense, Insecurity Guard, The Imaginary Breakup – are really quite witty, with the laughs coming from irrational responses to identifiable issues.
And whilst the humour is there, most of the sketches in My Brain Made Me Do It make the same mistake: they carry on past their natural conclusion and, as a result, outstay their welcome. And that may be a harsh criticism to make, it does tend to make the entire performance feel too long. Having said that, I got some additional laughs from this show from the quirky little takeaway pamphlet given to patrons, “ADHD and you – A comprehensive guide”, which is chock-full of wry jokes.
(61) My Brain Made Me Do It: Psych-related sketch comedy that occasionally starts strong & goes too long. #ff2015 #ADLfringe
— Pete Muller (@festivalfreakAU) February 21, 2015