AN amusing story exploring thoughts, feelings and interpersonal relationships will be coming to Lake Charm next month.
The solo show Roommates: The Musical is written and performed by award-winning comedian and singer-songwriter Jude Perl.
“I perform lots of solo shows that are kind of a mixture of original music and theatre and stand-up comedy,” Perl told the Gannawarra Times.
“I haven’t performed this one in quite a few years. It is a show that was really fun to do but it was just a bit hard to tour it, so I’ve decided to bring it back.”
The show, which was one of the highlights of the 2017 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and was recognised at the 2018 Green Room Awards, centres on three roommates and the different ways they interact.
“I don’t want to give too much away, but perhaps it is also not just about roommates, perhaps the roommates represent parts of ourselves,” Perl said.
“So it is kind of using the roommates’ story to kind of talk about how we deal with parts of ourselves.
“Like most of my shows, it’s got sort of a mental health spin on it, like fairly gentle, but I love talking about thoughts and feelings – those are my favourite topics, and just interpersonal relationships with people and with ourselves.”
Perl said she had a real passion for music and singing, and likes to be able to use that medium as a way to help her better understand things.
“Without sounding too cliched, I write songs because everything is so confusing to me, and I’m not good at making sense of things in any other way than to put it into songs, so it is a way of trying to make sense of stuff that makes no sense to me,” she said.
“That is probably why I talk about mental health stuff – I always find it really helpful to take something that is maybe a little bit difficult for me and then to try and put it into a song or a show to get to hear the audiences response.
“Putting something into a song, that is kind of challenging for me, and then hearing the audience’s response from it and that collective, ‘Oh my gosh, we all go through these feelings’, is just such a nice feeling.”
Perl previously performed in Leitchville a couple of years ago, and Gannawarra Shire chief executive Geoff Rollinson said he was looking forward to her return.
“Jude’s previous visit to the Gannawarra was back in June 2021 for her sold-out I Have A Face tour and, like last time, audience members will have a fun night laughing, crying and singing,” he said.
Roommates: The Musical will play at Lake Charm Hall on Friday, March 3, at 7.30pm. Tickets are $20 per person, and include a Cooking Up a Storm-organised supper following the show. For bookings and more information, visit trybooking.com/CFNHK
