Penny Arcade: The Art of Becoming Episode 3: “Superstar Interrupted"
 ★★★★1/2 Stars

Penny Arcade. The Pyramid @ Fools Paradise. 17 Feb 2023

Penny Arcade’s take on life memoir as a show has interesting points to it applicable to cult icon Arcade as to us mere mortals.

Arcade builds a philosophical tack to life in progress, applying it retrospectively to hers. There are two tacks to her approach.

Firstly, younger-self meets older-self, regenerating the energy of youthful perspective. For what was lived, in ongoing moments, has accrued in such a way it is a sum total of new possibility.

Second tack, no one wants or desires their identity or life-lived to be captured, contextualised and caged up theoretically. Life and identity is not theory.

That second tack is hugely important.

Arcade’s life has been one as an outsider since birth to her southern Italian peasant immigrant family in America. She was not of them; their culture; their values. So began life amongst outsiders, creative and social life amongst the gay and alternative arts scene, Andy Wharhols’ Factory and more.

Behind Arcade, a large screen scrolls a projection of photos and film snippets of the famous people and places her storied life as pop culture outsider, repeating as the show progresses.

Her ‘life’ is the story of the hip and happening 60s and 70s.

Reality is it’s the life of a rough, tough, vulnerable kid who fell into becoming herself. We venerate the fame bit.

Penny Arcade is not theory. Not a class in pop culture history or sexuality. Neither are any of our own lives.

Arcade’s monologues work too long in establishing this important point. Her stories are engaging, but lose connection to her essential theme as a consequence.

It’s as if she’s really sure, yet not really sure she has this thing all sussed out yet. Nonetheless, this is a production allowing one to ponder the progress of life and identity equal as we all are in our skins, offered up in loose, comfortable fashion belying the thinking you’ll start doing after leaving the venue.

David O’Brien

When: 17 to 28 Feb

Where: The Pyramid @ Fools Paradise

Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au