Taylor and Rosa take the audience on a hilarious journey through Brisbane’s cultural icons, from the majestic brown snake of the Brisbane River to the humble ibis, as they lament the loss of their friends to ‘cultural capitals’ like Melbourne and London.
Another night, another goodbye party for a friend – Taylor and Rosa are the only ones left in Brisbane, and they can’t help taking it a little personally. Featuring recorded messages from real traitors friends who have moved away, Everyone’s Leaving Brisbane follows Taylor and Rosa through the five stages of grief and, through a series of hilarious comedy sketches and musical numbers, celebrates life in “the big country town”.
Some of the sketches were wonderfully absurd; some connected only tangentially to life as a young adult in Brisbane and some not at all, but this didn’t disrupt the flow of the performance. The performers created a warm, relatively informal environment which added to the comedy of the show. Rosa’s manic energy was complemented by Taylor’s more grounded performance, and this balance was also reflected in the selection of sketches performed throughout the evening.
Even for a ‘short term’ local like me (more than five years, less than ten), the cleverly written humour was broad enough to be relatable and specific enough to feel like an inside joke. Their conclusions as they reached the final stage of grief were surprisingly motivational, and my cheeks ached from laughing by the time I left.
Review of May 16 performance, by Elise Lawrence
Taylor Edwards and Rosa Sottile will perform Everyone’s Leaving Brisbane at House Conspiracy, West End, on May 15-16 and 22-23. Read more and book tickets on the event page.
Please note: This show is for 18+
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