Are you ready to take charge of your life? Tired of being held back? Do you want to be sold a tiny meat press that will change everything? Welcome to the surreal world of self-help guru Cindy Salmon, a hilarious creation from the fearless Hayley Tantau.
As a character, Salmon herself is wonderfully fleshed out. An energetic career go-getter with a passion (and minimal talent) for kickboxing, she very much inhabits the larger-than-life high-profile personalities of those for whom personal development and corporate interest converge. Armed with an inexplicable New Jersey accent and a desire to see women succeed in every aspect, she’s relentlessly fought the patriarchy and won’t back down from any challenge – but as audience members in her latest demonstration, you’ll witness her well-intended zeal gradually pick her world apart.
Salmon is instantly likeable. She’s gloriously weird – a hyperactive mutagen against the all-too-prevalent adversity women face every day that you can’t help but be completely charmed by. She’s both dynamic and genuine, wanting to shape the world for the better, but not quite knowing how to outside the flashy lights of the stage. The room is Salmon’s universe; in an honestly enjoyable display of audience interactivity, every seat could hold a secret and every person is a potential participant in her game. Even when proceedings twist slightly darker, there’s a true purity to the fun she can evoke.
If there is but one weakness to the show, it’s that there’s really nothing but the character to maintain control of proceedings. Tantau is a very talented improviser, and manages to keep the audience in stitches with her bouncy comebacks, but allowing for such moments slows proceedings down and hangs a little too loosely around the jarring punch of the story arc, leaving moments a bit hazy or unfocused. Still, these are minor complaints about a very entertaining show.
Cindy Salmon’s Empowerment Hour is a mirthful introduction to a character that will stick with you long after you’ve left – and one we’d all be blessed to hopefully see much more of.
By Jacob Colliver
