Matti is here as a part of "THE $#!T" Tickets available now! 

Far Too Heavy

Melanie Bailey is a fine storyteller. I've often enjoyed her unique take on things and her boisterous and delightful personality can go a long way. 

The show here is set up in a unique way. The half full boxes that litter the stage serve as a palpable visible reminder, and a welcome space for someone to share their stories with. We all come with baggage and have experienced this place we find ourselves in onstage. 

The stories Melanie shares are deeply personal and effecting. There's nowhere that you feel she can't go, and a lot of the places where she is willing to explore can be shocking for the audience. You frequently find her brushing up against uncomfortable truths and deep traumas that have the potential to be supremely impactful. 

While I appreciate the high concept, the engaging story telling, and her indelible spirit- I do find that this particular show offers more questions than it does answers. There are many threads that she introduces that don't resolve in a satisfying way for the audience. I can understand that there might be intense and scary things that come with unpacking earlier traumas - but in that case a show like this would benefit from not introducing them instead of shying away from them. As an audience member, it undermines the incredible bravery and vulnerability that Melanie presents - and ultimately becomes the only thing that the audience member remembers as a "so what was that about" instead of the rest of this very capable emotional heavy lifting. 

Apart from that section, this is emotional, topical, beautiful and extremely vulnerable, and I'm hoping that she continues to create exciting dynamic storytelling for many more Fringes to come.