ED2015 2/5 Reviews ED2015 Theatre Reviews

Clairvoyant (Bettine Mackenzie)

By Lucy Diver | Published on Thursday 13 August 2015

“I AM ME!” she cries, desperately. But ‘me’ is talentless, cringey. Of course, that’s the point: ‘Clairvoyant’ shows us the awkward audition of an aspiring pop star. But, as the title suggests, she has insight into others’ minds – and they’re much more interesting than her attempts at Madonna. These interludes are solid, self-sustained bits of characterisation: a biscuit incident; Terence the macaw, and a magic trick gone wrong. However, ‘Clairvoyant’s trick has gone wrong too: although the apparitions are compelling, it’s unclear how they fit into the frame narrative. It comes across as a flimsy premise to link the episodes, and although the cringe and desperation are deliberate, the audience still has to endure it, gyrations and all.

C nova, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Lucy Diver]