#EdFringe: You and I – Review
★★★★
An extremely sweet new musical about a girl and a robot, which has real indie teen film vibes.
What do you do when the world’s first super intelligent robot turns up on your door asking about the origins of the universe, karaoke and porn? Dealing with grief, loneliness and moving on, and what it means to be human, struggling musician Fran’s world is turned upside down when Robert the Robot turns up on her doorstep, sort of a gift from her sister, who recently passed away suddenly.
Filled with awkward wit and humour, heart and pain, Robert and Fran, and her ex-Ian break Fran out of her shell and her funk, and drag her back to life through adventures and singing karaoke. It feels like a teen coming of age movie with gorgeous music, with a band of three, on guitar, violin and piano give the show an indie folk vibe, which is extremely enjoyable to listen to. The title song ‘You and I’, as a bit of a ballad / lullaby about two sisters is an absolute stand out, full of emotion and heart and a bit of a tear-jerker!
Laurence Hunt gives a stellar performance as Robert, as an almost male version of Siri, completely robotic while also being curious and sort of friendly. His mannerisms and ability to learn quickly as an artificial intelligence unit leave the audience in stiches, as well as his need to be charged via his ‘butt plug’.
Lindsay Manion gives a lovely performance as slightly despressed and struggling Fran, putting up a brave face to her housemates and her awkward and energetic performance is the element that holds the show together. Cara Withers and Martha Furniva are fabulous fun as Fran’s two roommates as well as just about every other character in the show, and they do well to navigate the myriad of roles they are given, and absolutely shine as bad karaoke singers.
Colla Voce Theatre have a gem of a show on their hands, and I cannot wait to see where they take it next.
You and I played at Underbelly Bristo Square until 26 August. More info.