FRINGE REVIEW: Diary of a Racially Confused Girl
After a successful 2019 Fringe Season, Nicholette C is back with her one-of-a-kind Fringe event, Diary of a Racially Confused Girl.
It’s the “too Asian” from some, and the “not Asian enough” from others that birthed this genius musical comedy--all while also providing an education to the culturally unaware. With her charismatic and charming spiels about her teenage years or the nostalgic reminiscence for hometown food, the show was clearly written with the racially disoriented in mind.
In the intimate atmosphere, accompanied by both traditional Chinese instruments and a classic guitar-bass-drum combo, Nicholette C carries her audience on an epic saga. Starting from a racially confused teen that grew into a confident Asian-Australian woman confident in her own racial identity, the tales of forced racial stereotypes and learning to be more than them was both entertaining and a little bit too relatable.
By parodying iconic Western songs (think Alicia Keys' New York, or Ariana Grande’s thank u, next) the journey from lunchtime with a 2004 Thermos to a big “f-ck you to everyone who made me choose” is an entertaining story of the consolidation of an identity in a tumultuous cultural environment. I mean, growing up in two conflicting cultures (shoes in the house? Really?) simultaneously is not exactly the definition of “stability,” and the revelation that it is unnecessary to be just one of them is, to say the least, revolutionary.
It was the little things in her performance--breaking down certain stereotypes, reinforcing others, pushing through the polite silence that is ingrained in Asian culture, or my personal favourite: fluctuating accents. It was the big things, too, like tactfully handling an unruly audience member with a balance of humour and assertiveness that you would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.
With a stand-up routine comparable to the likes of Ali Wong and Ronny Chieng, and a musical exposé powered by versatile soulful vocals, the racially sensitive are advised to steer clear of this tastefully offensive critique of cross-cultural bildungsroman.
Rated: 4.5 / 5
