Jess and Erika are two creative pals with late-life ADHD diagnoses and a love of music. Together, the two lasses guide us on a journey through the highs and lows of the ADHD experience in their hit Late to the Party: The ADHD Hour. 

On this day, a sold-out crowd was packed tight into a small upstairs entertaining area of Plant 4. It was a cosy affair and a nice surprise for the creators. The stage is cluttered with brightly coloured objects and paraphernalia: a blow-up palm tree that amusingly won’t stay upright, a makeshift bookshelf with several sensory play toys, and a large pink door next to the keyboard. For a whimsical touch, the audience is invited to knock on their tables for each segue when Jess starts rapping on the door. 

Jess and Eliza are sweetly sincere and very funny to watch. There’s a complete lack of pretension in what they have to say, and the results are brilliant. They analyse the most notorious traits of ADHD segment by segment, supported by a series of TikTok videos and a playlist of parody songs. The persistent earworm “Spicy Brain” is particularly hilarious and is aided by Eliza darting out into the crowd while playing with a pink butterfly toy. Other great mentions are “My Brain is on Fire” and “Where Is My Stuff?”, set to the tunes of Alicia Keys and The Black Eyed Peas. They expound the details of each category at length: Focus, ADHD Rage, and Contradictions, just to name a few. If you fall anywhere on the spectrum, it's guaranteed you’ll feel called out by at least one (I counted five).

The lyrical wordplay is hilarious, although it can be confusing on occasion. Certain songs that have most of the lyrics transformed suddenly switch back to the originals, and it can be hard to keep up with the parody/non-parody boundaries. That being said, sometimes when Jess and Erika choose to keep the originals without amendment, it can be exceptionally touching. Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” is very poignantly used in the segment about executive dysfunction in a moment of true empathy for a very distressing and overlooked condition. The vulnerability goes hand in hand with the comedy, and it’s handled with deliberate care.

Education and social awareness around ADHD have certainly improved in recent years. There are, however, gaps in knowledge that can make it hard to understand the condition. Jess and Eliza provide much-needed nuance to the stereotypes and cliches surrounding neurodivergent people and their behaviours while also eschewing any sense of shame. Their show is an excellent educational tool that leans into the silliness and contradictions living with an ADHD brain can entail, as well as the hidden joys.

Late To The Party is a joyful, fun ride that aims for something more thought-provoking than a self-deprecating rundown of symptoms. It gives representation with an extraordinary level of compassion and playfulness. It’s easy to see why this show has resonated so strongly with fellow spicy-brained viewers. If you identify as neurodivergent yourself, you’ll find this show incredibly life-affirming. It’s like a rainbow-coloured hug that allows you to embrace your quirks to the fullest - all with a very funny backing soundtrack.  

****1/2 Four and a Half Stars

***Author’s note: it took me at least five attempts to start writing this review as I kept getting distracted by YouTube essays and an itchy clothing tag, and the irony is not lost on me.***