As many might do, given the vast array of comic opportunties currently available in Melbourne, I looked at what was offering, read the blurb and 'stuck a pin' in Claire Hooper's Storybook at the Bosco Theatre on the banks of the Yarra behind Federation Square. I liked the sound of what was described as her particular mix of cabaret style comedy incorporating music, puppetry, dance, costume and storytelling. As the general wisdom has it, we all have at least one book inside us, and in Storybook Claire Hooper is searching for that blockbuster of a children's storybook which she knows is inside her. Her story, and the performance, begins with a horse and ends with a horse and, along the way, diverges into personal stories, family stories (only the interesting ones), remembered children's stories, and even a touch of philosophy courtesy of Nietsche and Descartes! Along the way Claire let's the audience into her secret of how to feel both famous and a complete idiot at the same time, gives her audience the opportunity of some 'story therapy', and illustrates how a horse is the answer to the meaning of life.
Hooper has an easy, friendly style - it's a bit like the 'girl next door' chatting to you – and there are certainly some quirky twists to her performance. I attended a preview performance so no doubt things will tighten up as the season progresses. Her musical talent, well this, along with her use of costume, puppetry and dance, is part of the act and not to be revealed in advance. You'll just have to go along to get the joke!
The venue, The Bosco Theatre, is one of those old travelling theatres, wooden, containing a semi-circle of tiered seats which provides a good view and a certain intimacy. It's a little like a Speigeltent, without the mirrors (although it does have a mirror ball) and without a bar, although there is one next door and you are allowed to take your drinks into the performance.
This is Hooper's third appearance at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival – she was nominated for the Best Newcomer Award in 2006 for Oh – and she is well known to anyone who watched the ABC's The Sideshow last year.
A Token Event
Storybook
Claire Hooper
Venue: Bosco Theatre | Federation Square, Melbourne
Dates: 20th Mar - 13th Apr
Times: Tue-Sat 7pm, Sun 6pm (no show 5th Apr)
Duration: 55 minutes
Tickets: Full $21.90, Conc $19.90 (N/A Sat), All Tix Saturday $21.90
Bookings: Ticketmaster 1300 660 013 & at the door