‘For those expecting Tim /Well quite clearly I’m not him /But at least now I’ve got you through the door,’ Neil Robertson candidly sings in his debut one-man show, You Stole My Life, Tim Minchin. Inviting comparison between himself and the beloved cabaret legend is a risky move, and unfortunately this gamble doesn’t pay off.
To begin with, the title: Robertson hasn’t in fact been paying his dues in musical comedy but in rock ’n roll, so the life he ostensibly envies is not one he’s aspired to until recently. Although most of Robertson’s songs revolve around insulting Minchin, there’s little insight into his act or career. Instead the focus is on Minchin’s ginger hair and surface affectations, like his trademark eyeliner and penchant for performing barefoot. Even this rancour doesn’t seem truly heartfelt; it’s more as if Robertson came up with the one idea and then couldn’t move beyond it.
His stage manner is overblown and empty, his gestures stiff and hammy, his monologue interspersed with long pauses during which he’s obviously remembering the next bit. He’s certainly an accomplished pianist, although he looks a lot more comfortable behind his guitar. (This could partly be due to the angle of the piano which obscured his face to the audience on the left half of the theatre, forcing Robertson to twist awkwardly around on his stool.) His voice is adequate, if weak in falsetto.
The show’s biggest weakness is that Robertson actually reveals very little about himself. We learn that he has two kids and a day job as an audio technician, but very little about his emotions beyond bitterness at his lack of success. This bitterness certainly comes through loud and clear, the raw pain breaking through his jovial persona in an unsettlingly uncontrolled way.
Mentions of his partner are kept to a bare minimum, which made me wonder if she’d insisted on being kept out of it, especially since Robertson describes himself as ‘a rock god trapped in the suburbs’, and makes a couple of pointed references to Tim Minchin’s sweetheart supporting him through the lean years, commenting that he hasn’t received the same unquestioning devotion. This points to some interesting tension in the relationship, and while Robertson’s reluctance to explore this publicly is understandable, it’s also the kind of conflict of which great comedy could, in the right hands, be made.
You Stole My Life, Tim Minchin is an uncomfortable experience, but it’s hard to know if this is intended. I came away with the impression that Robertson didn’t really know what he was aiming for. The show is part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, which is all about having freedom to experiment, but if Robertson is serious about pursuing a career in comedy and exploring the concept of failure, he needs to be prepared to tell the truth about himself instead of hiding behind someone else’s shtick.Rating: 1 stars out of 5
You Stole My Life, Tim MinchinWritten and performed by Neil Robertson
Directed by Cathy Kohlen
The Butterfly Club, Melbourne
25-29 September
Melbourne Fringe Festival
www.melbournefringe.com.au
18 September – 6 October
