OCD OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DARRYL
Robert Gill Theatre
See show info here
Rating: NNNN
More effective and informative than a hundred #BellLetsTalk tweets, Darryl Pring‘s look at whether or not he’s “crazy” (his word) is frank, honest and very entertaining.
Pring, an actor and comic, presents his history of mental illness as a Power Point demonstration, beginning with an amusing analysis of what we think “crazy” is and continuing with a recounting of his unusual family situation and the various obsessive beliefs and visions he’s had: nightly prayers that had to be said perfectly lest there be dire consequences the next day religious sightings the idea that he has murdered someone.
The actor delivers these stories with a certain detachment (it could also be nervousness), and if there’s a slightly manipulative feel to the show, that’s excusable considering how out-of-control he felt during much of his life. What’s exciting about Pring as a performer is his wicked edge and the anger lurking beneath his genial smile. When that anger erupts as in a confrontation with his father it’s disarming.
Directed by Chris Gibbs, there’s a good balance and pace to the show, which includes personal videos, cute graphics for a pretty disturbing topic and even an earnest but heartfelt song Pring composed at 19 that goes on just a few bars too long.
The climax is rivetting and there’s a tension-releasing joke that is so funny and well-timed it proves once again that comedy really is a great way to explore a difficult subject.
