REVIEW: ROSE CALLAGHAN - WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS ROSE?
4 out of 5 stars
Rose Callaghan is back with her second solo show, following a run of sold out shows across the country and winning the Best Comedy Award at Sydney Fringe festival in 2016. The voice you know from Triple J and Nova, and the Swipe Night podcast returns to share stories about dating that will make any bad story you have sound like a fairy tale.
The regularly featured ‘dating expert’ despite having been single for 6 years, presents a scathing and “true” look at reality TV dating show, The Bachelor, and while being a huge fan of the show, she tries to find the truth in it, and juxtapose the ridiculousness of the show against real life. Because that’s right, no real girl goes on a date in a helicopter to Bachie’s private beach for the day.
Her life seems to keep entwining with contestants from The Bachelor, from running into Laurina “the dirty street pie” on set, to meeting Sam Frost, she both idolizes and is confused by these people and their desire to go to on a show she swears is created by an “Angry man set to destroy hot confident women”. She presents the archetypes of each season, from the hot jock and token Asian/ non white guy in The Bachelorette, and the hot girl, wacky girl, blonde girls and more of the Bachelor, all competing for the love of an attractive but often not too intelligent mate. Being a fan of the show is not a prerequisite for enjoying the show as anyone will enjoy Callaghan’s quite wit, derision and disastrous dating stories.
It’s slated as a show that will make you feel better about your disastrous love life or laugh at how pathetic single people are, and it definitely does. Her humour is a little offensive and a little daggy but in the most wonderful way, self deprecating and with the energy of her self admitted sort of ADHD. Paired with the voice over of Osher, host of the show in Australia and a PowerPoint of accompanying tweets, images and funny memes to guide you through an exploration of the ridiculous show versus reality.
A few technical difficulties and delays in voice overs coming in don’t hamper the fun and amusement in the room. She explores being a young women in this modern world with gusto, with her breathy chuckle an endearing delight and she laughs along with her stories. Callaghan is kind of like the real life clingy girlfriend meme, except realistic, savage and hilarious, while still being a bit of a desperate clinger to her chosen partners. And when she says she has a dating story that will top all dating stories, her combination of romantic movie moment and horror film is the dating story that will ruin you, with the audience gasping, jaws dropped and disbelief taking over the room. It’s one that has to be heard by it’s protagonist to be believed.
Callaghan delights audience members at The Forum Theatre until 10 April, with new sessions of her show added. Tickets: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2017/shows/do-you-accept-this-rose
This article first appeared at: http://www.theatrepeople.com.au/rose-callaghan-will-you-accept-this-rose/ on 6 April 2017.
