Gill Hicks – Still Alive and Kicking
Black Box Theatre Botanical Gardens.
Review Tuesday 23/02/2021

In a venue that I have passed a thousand times on my Sunday walks and not discovered; I found the Black Box Theatre. This lovely space is tucked away behind the old tram barn in the botanical gardens. Once I got through the very efficient QR check in and ticket scan I was ushered into a dark room with just enough light to make me feel like I was in a smoky jazz club in London.

I must confess that I am no stranger to the writer and performer of this show – Ms. Gill Hicks. I have seen this lady in a corporate arena, tell the story of her sliding doors moment that changed her life forever.
With the precision of a swiss watch Ms. Hicks show commenced right on time. There were beautiful, intriguing video images by Mike Worsman and accompaniment by the musical backbone of the show, Julian Ferraretto on Saw and violin and Dylan Paul on bass.

Gill was on stage for the intro, but I didn’t see her. It was quiet and the feel of the images and musical introduction made me feel immersed, relaxed and free.

Dressed in all black (including a tutu), seated at the corner of the stage Gill began the hour-long story of her ordeal and rebirth after surviving the London Bombings of 7/7/2005. For those that don’t know, Gill stood in a train only one person away from someone she never knew. A boy of 19 years called Germaine Lindsay aka Abdullah Jamal who tried in vain to murder Gill but did manage to kill 26 people of the 52 that died that day.

I won’t elaborate on her story, only to state a few of the remarkable insights she gave;

• Gill felt the grip and comfort of death.
• She could still speak when she had no pulse.
• Gill was clinically dead when being attended to by hospital staff for 30 minutes.
• She was identified on her hospital bracelet as 1 unknown estimated female.

This show is different than when Gill speaks in corporate, she sings, celebrating that with just one lung and a layering of music and words, the show must and will go on. When Gill speaks, there is a quality and tone in her voice that makes me feel like I am being hugged.

Her opening sultry rendition of Bee Gees hit “Stayin Alive” compelled the audience to listen to the lyrics which sounded like a backdrop to the mayhem of 7/7/2005 in London.

“Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive.”

Still alive and kicking is a new way to look at tragedy and the human spirit. She sang ‘Summertime”, Bye Bye Blackbird” and the aptly named “Feelin Good” to finish the show. The audience clapped long after the end of the event, some cried, some laughed but everyone was present for the moments she offered and felt everything she gave us came from her heart.

Gill Hicks, AM, MBE, FRSA is resilient, talented, calming, warm, funny and she swings like a real jazz singer.
Still alive and kicking provides a real insight into triumph of the human spirit. As a performer myself, singers want to sing and that she did. I was one of the 50+ audience members, with a tear in my eye and a smile on my face, glad that our Gill Hicks remained after 7/7 to articulate the narrative of a wonderful and purposed life in word and song.

If you care about the human condition, about caring for others, about having purpose, about how music makes you feel and if you want to experience a range of emotions from laughing to tears, then you should see this show.
4.5 stars

Reviewer – Stephen Foenander for Adelaide Review Team (ART)
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Tickets available for the show between 26/2, 28/2, 9/03 and 14/03/2021 at Blackbox Theatre or you can watch from home.
https://adelaidefringe.com.au/.../still-alive-and-kicking..