Review: THE ASPIE HOUR Educates About Asperger's Whilst Entertaining With Musical Theatre.

Wednesday 15th January 2020, 6pm, Carriageworks

Young cabaret newcomers Sophie Smyth and Ryan Smedley (co-creators, writers and performers) share their stories of living with Asperger's and a love of musical theatre in an intriguing and amusing THE ASPIE HOUR. Following on from successful tours in Victoria, the Green Room Award winning show directed by Fiona Scott-Norman comes to the Sydney Festival.

With works that started life as the product of Federation University's Cabaret program, THE ASPIE HOUR draws on the common theme of Smyth and Smedley's projects that centered around their lives with Asperger's. With the support of musical director and pianist Rainer Pollard, the two share what it means to have Asperger's, from the challenges with reading social cues, fixated interests, attention to detail, lack of emotional reciprocity, dislike of being touched and social anxiety. Along with more to the point explanations of the developmental disability the duo also reveal more personal stories to illustrate their condition. Smedley recounts his solo trip to New York City with a classic cabaret continuum while Smyth shares a summary of her life in the style of a formulaic musical.

Smedley draws on a mix of musical theatre classics and his own compositions, including a beautiful Manhattan Skyline, to share the excitement and anxiety he felt when he prepared for the long journey from Melbourne to New York City. He has an easy cabaret style that shares patter stories that seamlessly roll into songs while also maintaining eye contact with the audience, helping to draw the audience in to his story of adventures in the Big Apple. The songs have a classic musical theatre feel that evokes memories of the Great White Way as he sings with a beautiful purity and his physicality and use of the broad bare stage is effective and informed.

Smyth's selection of adapted songs draws from more contemporary musicals as she uses the formula for musical theatre shows and common tropes to tell her life story. Wearing her obsession for replica character costumes, she presents a larger than life expression of her story, capturing the more flamboyant 'singing to the exits' often seen in musical theatre, ensuring that her style is decidedly different to Smedley's.

THE ASPIE HOUR is entertaining and informs whilst also raising the awareness that whilst Smyth and Smedley have a collection of traits that led to diagnoses of Asperger's, most people can relate to at least some of the experiences they share. Hopefully making audiences realize that people with Asperger's aren't really that different to neurotypical people that aren't diagnosed with the disability will help destroy barriers and bring people together.

https://www.theaspiehour.com/

https://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/events/the-aspie-hour

Photos: Yaya Stempler

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