Review: Eva Johansen - Fran I Am

Editorial

When: 31 March-24 April 2011
Where: Imperial Hotel
Reviewed: 1 April, 2011.

After falling asleep in Allen Ginsberg's beard in 1961, try-hard Beat poet Fran finds herself in Melbourne in 2011, and performing in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Ably supported by her accompanist Grüg, who "chooses not to participate in the institution of language", Fran tells us her story of a painless childhood and a heartbreaking college affair, in between declaiming bad poetry and conversing with the audience.

Johansen is a confident and accomplished performer, and Karen Heath as Grüg is equally impressive, but an under-developed script detracts from what could have been a stronger show. Johansen's final act is especially impressive, but seems slightly at odds with the rest of her material, as if wedged into the show to extend its running time.

Richard Watts, Citysearch