Review by Astrid Paliouras
In the inviting and cosy Motley Bauhaus in Carlton, Jacqueline Mifsud stages her Melbourne International Comedy Festival show, I Believe This Is Yours.
The show is a one hour stand up comedy show - just Mifsud, a microphone, and some expertly placed sound effects - while she recounts and lets go of the past trauma and beliefs that were holding her back.
From the very jump, Mifsud’s presence on stage is lively and electric to watch. She really does command the stage and delivers every story and joke with expression and passion that only develops and grows as the show goes on. Her energy is captivating, truly making watching her up on stage something so incredibly joyful and comforting.
While her energy and the atmosphere she creates in the Motley’s intimate cabaret space is inviting on its own, the contents of her show is something so refreshing and delivered in such an accessible and captivating way. She tells countless stories - ranging from hilarious to worrying - from throughout the course of her life and reflects on the way she felt, the things she learnt, and the witty one-liners those events inspired. Amidst priceless (and rightful) Tassie slander and retellings of the difficult people she met in France, she shares the stories of the incredible people in her life and what she has learnt from them and I feel all the richer for having heard them too.
Her comedy is dark at times but the balance that Mifsud finds between comedy and the darker lines she delivers is flawless and plays such a pivotal role in making her show as entertaining and alluring as it is. She shows so much vulnerability, disclosing her struggles with mental illness and not trying to overcompensate with comedy. It doesn’t create any feelings of discomfort, rather it creates that perfect balance through which she is able to draw the audience in and make them feel so connected to her as a person and to her stories. It is an honest and raw recount of similes and struggles while still managing to find humour in the inbetweens and it is something so incredibly beautiful and rewarding to watch.
Jacqueline Mifsud’s takes you along on a journey with her in MICF show, I Believe This Is Yours, a dark but encouraging and insightful journey delivered in a hysterical way. Her show runs until April 23rd and taking the opportunity to witness her quick and unique style of comedy is something you will not regret.
Image Supplied