Coming to see a show like Doom Box: A Cabaret by Frankly is like walking into this artist's mind. Loud, ridiculously funny, and with just a tinge of crazy, this is the very essence of why the Adelaide Fringe Festival was created. Before all the big-time acts came to town with unlimited marketing budgets, the Fringe was for smaller artists who were trying to share their art in their own unique way. Doom Box captures that spirit and delivers it with great vengeance and furious anger, as well as hilarity - because, after all, this is Frankly we’re talking about.

Different from her previous shows, Doom Box takes a journey through Frankly’s life from a comedic angle. Yes, there are political statements and religious quotes, but it’s done in such a way that it’s not preachy. Stories of best friends, boyfriends, and Bob Katter are told at such a frantic pace that you never know where the show is going to go, the best part being that Frankly never gets too bogged down in her storytelling. A thought or memory comes to her mind, she relays it unfiltered, and then she moves on. The audience is then left to laugh at the sheer absurdity of her commentary or are scratching their heads wondering “Who even thinks like that?”

With a mixture of song and storytelling Doom Box never gets boring: a high-energy, high-calibre show with rapid-fire rate jokes and stories. Unlike other years, tear-inducing emotion is left out of her performance this time around, making way for a non-stop hour of laughter and fun instead. This is one doom box that’s worth taking a look at!

FOUR AND A HALF STARS ****1/2

Reviewed by Shane Berketa