ED2016 2/5 Reviews ED2016 Theatre Reviews

Shaedates: Or How I Learned To Love Myself (Shaelee Rooke)

By | Published on Monday 22 August 2016

Shaedates Ed2016

‘Shaedates’ has a nice message: we should all love ourselves a little more. Sadly, that’s the best thing I can say about this underwhelming production. A solo show can struggle if the character isn’t likeable, and it’s hard to feel anything positive towards Shae, as she meanders through life with no interests or passions and a boyfriend who clearly isn’t interested in her. Her increasingly unrealistic story (including a marine-themed wedding and a psychic rock star) becomes grating, and the humour falls flat. Unfortunately, writer/performer Shaelee Rooke’s message of non-ironic, wholehearted self-love just doesn’t appeal to my cynical, sarcastic heart. What, I assume, is supposed to feel empowering just comes across as trite, despite the character’s repeated mocking of self-help cliches.

Zoo, until 20 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Gemma Scott]



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