Medicine (T.J. Dawe)

Victoria Fringe Festival

3.5 Stars

I have heard T.J. Dawe referred to as a ‘Fringe God’ or a ‘Fringe Legend’ – his reputation has spread throughout the country (and possibly beyond), and after several years of hearing about him, I was looking forward to finally seeing Dawe in action.

And…he was good.  His story was enjoyable.  His self-effacing manner put the audience at ease.  He is comfortable on stage, and his delivery was mostly smooth.

The thing is, I expected great.  Dawe spoke rapidly (I was told this is his performance style), but at times the words were not clear, and there were moments where he stumbled over his text.  And 90 minutes is long for a personal monologue – there was a fair amount of thematic repetition, and sections could have easily been cut without losing the intended impact.

It is a solid, well-performed show.  Perhaps not what I had expected, but still worth seeing.