Review By Kipp Lee
The stage is set with a large poster listing the table of contents of the show before Alex Reynolds enters in an all green denim outfit to the bright poppy sounds of Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Curly and Coordinated is Alex’s way of navigating through accepting herself, her sexuality, starting therapy and her bodily functions.
Alex Reynolds is an instantly joyous presence on stage. She is light-hearted and jolly and doesn’t take herself too seriously - and if she does she whips out a bald cap and dances unabashedly to a tune until we have all recovered from the seriousness of the previous moment.
Reynolds manages to elicit laughs from the audience effortlessly, even when they are writhing in discomfort. She exudes a sort of chaotic mix of humbleness and pride which is perfectly encapsulated every time she gives us the aside of “not to brag...but definitely a brag” whenever she mentions an achievement.
Reynolds claims to use comedy as a defense mechanism and professes to trying to make her therapist laugh, even through her own tears (something, I’m sure a lot of us can relate to - no? just me, ok). A lot of Reynolds’ comedy comes from the way her body works (or doesn’t). From toxic farts, sweat and periods, her body seems to actively work against her in the most comedic effect - and there is no escape.
Similarly, Reynolds explores the inescapable nature of racism and its effect on everyday life. Her background is Syrian and Armenian, and she touches on the discrimination her family faces, especially living in Cronulla in the early 2000s. This is another one of those “starts as a joke but quickly turns serious” moments that makes the audience just as angry as she is, before the tension being cut by the opening chords of one of her favourite Arabic pop songs and her stunningly wild dance moves.
At several points during the show Reynolds playfully terrorised the audience by simply interacting with them - if you don't like audience participation, this section will ruin you. I don’t want to spoil the ending but the show’s finale is definitely one of the worst things that could ever happen to anyone ever and it’s brilliant. You have one more chance to see this show and find out for yourself. 9.30pm Friday 14th at the Factory Theatre.
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