NOTE: This review will not contain spoilers.
What the hell just happened?
EPIC WAY! I’m Gay? Oui oui faguette™ I LOVE KIM HILL (1999 version) is a wild ride through the absurd and, at times, intense mind of Liv Ward, a comedian who redefines themself throughout the entire show. With a combination of video clips, clowning and song, Ward drags their audience screaming and laughing to a surprisingly heartfelt plea for empathy.
Liv Ward is missing. The world is panicking. Well, most of it. We’re just sort of here to visit the lobster that’s taken up residence in The Studio at BATS Theatre. At the behest of their lesbian overlord, they are sent off on a quest to find the comedian, whose show has already started.
If none of this makes sense to you, Liv Ward‘s got you exactly where they want you.
They consistently thrive on blasting the audience with whatever they’re finding funny at any given moment and the fans can’t get enough. There are moments where they have to tell the audience to shut up, so they can move on to the next joke, but to no avail. They’re just way too beloved. Clips of their Mum, who is literally here, have the audience rioting . It’s such a warm atmosphere thanks to the tight-knit community Ward has built around themself. In some ways, everyone here is part of the show.
Production-wise, there’s a lot of slickness to be appreciated here. The clips are played smoothly and the conversations Ward has with the pre-recorded videos are timed extraordinarily well. The clips are as funny as they are cooked. Things are always changing. Once you’ve got a grasp on what you think is happening, nope, turns out that in expecting surprises, you’ve set yourself up to be surprised yet again.
There’s also a really poignant message that bubbles to the surface now and again. Throughout the entire show, there are pieces of trans voice art which remind the audience that there is so much work yet to be done to support our trans whānau. Whether it’s the metaphor of being trapped in a token ATM, or just a Ted Talk style breakdown of how healthcare systems fail them repeatedly, the message is always clear and resonates with the crowd.
As far as I’m concerned, this show is a siege against the straights. And that’s fair, we deserve the flack for not doing our part, or worse, believing that a few rainbow stickers absolves us of the privilege we’ve abused for centuries. Liv Ward does everything they can to bring this issue to our attention, distracting us with the zaniest performance art, then sucker punching us with home truths. EPIC WAY! I’m Gay? Oui oui faguette™ I LOVE KIM HILL (1999 version) is sheer performance art that has its audience coming with laughter.
You love to see it.
Disclosure: As a somewhat active member of the Wellington performing arts community, I may be quite familiar with a number of the performers in this show. Having said that, I am not a liar, and there is zero bias in my reviews, shut up.
Also, tickets were provided to me for free by the production. Literally changes nothing, though.