Fresh from a sell-out season at the 2013 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Zoe McDonald continues to explore the FOMO phenomenon in her one-woman, ten-character show. At the mercy of her on-air colleagues, McDonald becomes the reluctant subject of her own radio program, besieged by an ensemble of eccentric characters. McDonald’s insecurities and anxieties are suddenly fair game in a frenetic exchange of ads, segments and interruptions. That’s right: it’s presented as an actual radio program, right down to ads for Fat Blaster products and Jenny Craig memberships. (for which McDonald affects a hysterical Yorkshire lilt)
This is like no radio program you’ve experienced, though, offering up an hour of absurd fun. McDonald’s honey voiced producer Pamela is the highlight, exploring the sheer pretension of middle-aged spiritualism. McDonald’s caricature imagines a blend of Judith Lucy and Julia Gillard, made complete with a demeanor fit for ABC Radio National. Pamela opens the show and quickly becomes the funniest and most enjoyable of McDonald’s characters. The ditzy, shrill-toned beautician Anita – a bogan princess with more than a few ways to make you wince – comes a close second. Meanwhile, the rough-around-the-edges Jessica plays an integral part, compensating for her repressed sexuality with abrasive bravado.
McDonald’s characters are well-rounded and well-realised. Impressively, her transition between each of them is seamless, McDonald meeting the demands of her one-woman show with nonchalant brilliance. McDonald’s schizophrenic approach to self-exploration becomes more zany with each passing minute. You might find yourself wondering whether or not the show is building to anything in particular. However, to McDonald’s credit, she ties everything together in style. We so often praise the bravery of stand-up comedians, but McDonald outshines her fellow creatives in this instance, her show a rare kind of confessional.
Overall, FOMO is both funny and touching. If you’re craving something different from this year’s festival, McDonald’s delightfully quirky show is well-worth checking out.
BY NICK MASON
