Reviewed by: Weekend Notes
Review by Fatema Sitabkhan | 12 March 2023
Maryellen George's personality and energy can be best described as chaotic-chic. Sure, she has been proclaimed to be a "ray of sunshine", but Maryellen is so much more than this cliche. Her comedy show Anecdotal Evidence offers a hilarious and refreshing outlook of a first-hand experience as an individual with ADHD and Narcolepsy. At the halfway point during the show, audiences are invited to assist Maryellen in selecting from a list of prepared anecdotes for her to share something thoroughly relatable - and while these stories will change based on the audience choices, you can be guaranteed that it will leave you in stitches and/or in tears from laughing too hard. There is a small level of interactivity but given the intimate size of the audience, it won't be long before everyone feels comfortable enough to participate in the show. Minimal props and costume changes are well balanced with Maryellen's ability to draw her audiences into her world of unexpected surprises and challenges that will make you feel both humbled and hopeful for the future to follow. There are several themes of the show that showcase Maryellen's power to be unapologetically strong, ambitious, and determined, as she sifts through components of feminism, sexual diversity, and living with invisible illnesses. Maryellen demonstrates through the art of narrative storytelling that she is not one to be limited by anything in life and that she is to face uncertainties in full force, naturalising her status as a fierce and formidable female icon in the performing arts scene. The art of comedy is often underrated but also incredibly challenging to master...and yet, Maryellen makes it look effortless and flawless. Intertwining serious topics of discussion with her razor-sharp wit and ridiculously joyful stage presence, Maryellen provides audiences with a wholesome and lighthearted hour of bonding, laughs, and heartfelt moments of reflection. For what it's worth, you won't be falling asleep in this highly energetic performance (and neither will Maryellen)!