Crap I Found in My Room takes place in the bedroom of a young man still living with his parents. Writer-performer Nick Hedger plays a self-confessed hoarder, forced to move out and find potential housemates. His hideously messy bedroom, filled with forgotten toys and discarded trinkets, becomes the stage for Hedger to conduct housemate interviews, his questions interwoven with renditions of familiar pop tunes and original songs of his own. Drawing from The Little Mermaid’s ‘Part of Your World’, he cheekily describes having ‘gadgets and gizmos aplenty’, while his display of teenage angst via Alanis Morissette’s ‘You Oughta Know’ makes for great laughs.
This one-man show covers issues every 20-something would be familiar with, from housemates to childhood video games. Crap I Found in My Room has an amusing and light-hearted touch when dealing with the pains of growing up, but the mood unexpectedly shifts towards the end. The coming-of-age story often hints at some personal growth in Hedger’s character, but it begs for more to be discovered.
Hedger’s awkward character possesses a very limited attention span, diverting into various unrelated subjects throughout the show. From protesting against Metro’s fining system and highlighting the finer points of general urinal etiquette, Hedger’s various tangents lack cohesion, and some of his digressions seem quite forced.
That said, Hedger’s high-energy performance is engaging and enjoyable. His voice is remarkable, and his writing talent is hard to dismiss. Crap I Found in My Room shows that leaving the nest is never easy, but it can be a whole lot of fun.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Crap I Found In My Room
By Nick Hedger
Director: John Stephens
Stage Manager: Gemma Hedger
Lighting and Sound Manager: Bernard Hedger
The Butterfly Club, Melbourne
30 July – 4 August
