Lisa Skye’s Songs My Parents Taught Me warmly weaves reflections on her own transition to adulthood through the narrative of ’70s couple Bunny and Mad Dog. It is a love story set in Melbourne’s inner north in a simpler time, when sex and music reigned and marijuana was ‘legal’. She combines the second hand anecdotes and reminiscences of her parents with her own experiences to offer up a look at modern day hedonism.
Skye uses an effective mix of conversational storytelling, metronome bolstered beat poetry, music and a collection of amusing slides that don’t shy away from using Wordart. She openly discusses everything from sex to settling down, to stupid things teenagers say on acid. While some of the subject matter is confronting, Skye delivers it in such a way that it avoids becoming unnecessarily shocking and audience members are invited to opt out at any time and take comfort in a picture of an intergalactic shark, making love to a rocket.
Skye energetically imparts her wisdom with an earnest, natural humour. It is difficult not to like the glittery, green haired performer, resplendent in all her imperfection. She has a strong, sharply funny, independent voice and if what she’s saying starts to offend, just remember, the evening’s safe word is ‘shark’.
BY JO ROBIN
