one4review | On 17, Aug 2023

Lisa Verlo’s show is the tale of her attempts to break into Hollywood. As a young and naïve (but uninhibited) woman, she was desperate to be taken seriously as an actress, but discovered her only avenues to a possible career involved attracting the lascivious attention of the rich and powerful. Her tale is helped along by her guardian angels – Katherine Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe – who make pithy and pertinent interjections into her tale. There are some well-placed songs throughout and a Barbie and Ken film as a backdrop to Lisa’s early sexual education. Photos and films from her life add poignancy to the tale. 

Reflecting on her life, Lisa has decided to contact a very famous actor/director/producer with whom she had a relationship. She had hoped he would help her career, but he never offered her the big break for which she yearned. Sensationally, she names and shames this person. This is not a tale of a bully like Harvey Weinstein, but her treatment at the hands of this man, and other men she encountered, is shocking, but unfortunately not surprising. 

The ending of the show is an uplifting testament to her ability to overcome these original career setbacks. This is an amazing story, but I felt that the Barbie and Ken film was a distraction from her central story, and diminished the overall theme of her play. Lisa is working on a book about her life now – I’m sure it will be a blockbuster! 

***

Reviewed by Rona 

 Gilded Balloon Nightclub 

Until 27^th August 

4pm