Matthew Mitcham’s Twists and Turns

Matthew Mitcham. Image by John McCrae. 

At risk of exposing myself as a snob, I am always dubious about that ever-present little pseudo-genre called the I’m-a-celebrity-with-issues-so-I’ll-make-a-one-person-show-about-it-or-write-a-book/film etc genre. They’ve always felt like a cheap cash-in, milking pity from the audience rather than emotion. So hearing that Matthew Mitcham’s Twists and Turns, a daring venture into cabaret, was a story about a celebrity overcoming childhood traumas, alcoholism and drug addiction, I gave myself a deep, bolstering inhale and prepared myself for a Ben Cousins-style confession interspersed with pop songs.

For my own health, I’m glad I did because Mitcham’s show, despite some minor signs of an uneasy transfer from a smaller space to the Chapel, was nevertheless breathtaking. Alright, an Olympian with no acting or performance training isn’t going to quite have the same skill, as say, Mama Alto, and at times Mitcham’s comic timing falls a bit flat, but that doesn’t distract from his energy or his charisma.

Entering with a flourish and launching straight into song, Mitcham has the magnetic presence of an old veteran, pulling us directly into his world. As scripted and supported by the wonderful performer Spanky (Rhys Morgan, looking like a purple haired Iggy Pop in sequins), Twists and Turns is a ‘candid expose’ of a life fuelled by insecurity, anxiety and a need to be young – not an easy goal when you find yourself with the expectation of a nation on your back.

We follow Mitcham from his friendless childhood in Brisbane through his discovery of the trampoline, which leads to diving, subsequent acclaim and, of course becoming the first Australian diver to win gold at the Olympics since 1924 in Beijing (and the first with a perfect score!) But the discipline and pressure of competing and training at an international level takes its toll on the young star, along with his own personal demons, and Mitcham finds himself zigzagging between sobriety and addiction finally turning to long-time partner Lachlan Fletcher for help.

Playing against the sometimes-dark subject matter, the overall tone of the piece is light-hearted, thoughtful, touching and full of surprises. Director Nigel Turner-Carroll knows how to milk every last piece of imagination from his team and plays each of them to their strengths. Mitcham’s singing skills are powerful, (not surprising, given his lung capacity), and he is capable of delivering a heartfelt reinterpretation of Alanis Morissette’s Perfect as well as belting out an audience rousing You Only Get What You Give. He is also a self-taught ukulele natural show-off, he relishes any opportunity to flirt with the audience making his foray into cabaret seem like the most natural decision in the world – even if it’s the least obvious. Playing various roles and comic foil, multi award-winner Spanky pulls out those finely tuned daggers to offset Mitcham to great effect while musical director Jeremy Brennan delivers sensational support on piano and vocals. And if you were wondering what Mitcham’s trampoline skills were like – this show lets you find out – a highlight.

This overall sense of fun adds extra poignancy to scenes of self-doubt and loneliness. Especially effecting are the rigid expectations of his first coach, pushing him to gain almost superhuman perfection (featuring Philip Glass’s Metamorphosis 1 to devastating effect) and a stunningly beautiful underwater sequence, which sees Mitcham finally finding a moment of peace after the Beijing dive. Bathed in gobo lighting and putting his higher register to good use, this sequence is poetic in it visual and aural simplicity and sees both performer and director at their most delicately powerful.  

Twists and Turns is a delightful, energetic and warm ride that’s brimming with charm. Naturally this show will appeal to lovers of theatre, music and sport but it’s ultimately an inspirational show about life. The highlight of the Cabaret Festival (produced by Neville Sice and David Read and operating miraculously without Arts Victoria or the Australia Council funding), don’t pass this up – it’s pure gold.