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Ursula Martinez’s ‘Hanky Panky’ magic act has been performed the world over. It is a strip tease involving some gradually disappearing handkerchiefs and some gradually disappearing clothes. A few years ago, a bootleg video of the act ended up on the internet without her knowledge or consent. Since then Martinez has been receiving emails from fans the world over, ranging in content from endearingly hopeful to explicitly creepy.

This correspondence forms the basis of My Stories, Your Emails, presented at the Malthouse as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Martinez reads the audience a selection of the emails she received after the video was posted and as such, makes these men equal objects of public scrutiny and attention.

Martinez is a brilliant mimic with impeccable timing but the structure of the show itself seemed somewhat lazy. It is intended to be a sparse, pared back format, but instead merely seemed under developed.

There was a story section, where Martinez performed auto-biographical vignettes ranging in content from strap on dildos to the recent death of her father. We were then shown the strip tease video in question while Martinez moved onto reciting the emails that resulted from her sudden internet celebrity. These sections were at times repetitive, and while there is no doubt that Martinez is an engaging performer, they were also a touch too long.

Martinez claims that the attention she received was unwanted and that she was just an ‘ordinary person’ who had a video that ended up on the internet. But she is also an actor who has performed the world over, making auto-biographical, self devised work in a public forum. Surely a certain amount of fame (or infamy) is sought or desired and is, one would think, a necessary and essential side effect of being a performer of any note.

This is not to say in any way that famous people deserve to be harassed or sexually propositioned by men with 19 centimetre penises. But there is an equal exchange of privacy that happens throughout the show. All of the participants had given permission for their images to be used in the work, but one would imagine that it was without knowledge of the context in which they would be portrayed. Is there a certain element of revenge present in ridiculing these men in front of a theatre full of strangers? Or because they had sent Martinez emails first they were fair game?

It was hard to believe that Martinez was genuinely miffed by these emails - it seemed more like she was distantly bemused, the correspondence posing little threat to her sense of self. Vulnerability was somewhat unconvincing from this formidable woman and the content lacked commentary on the purported themes of the performance.

My Stories, Your Emails does contain laughs and is an engaging show. Martinez’s characterisation and ability to transform into the various characters is astounding. But deeper, more concise exploration is needed to force the performance beyond the surface.


Malthouse Theatre Presents
My Stories Your Emails
Created and Performed by Ursula Martinez

Directed by Mark Whitelaw

Venue: Beckett Theatre, The CUB Malthouse
Dates: 23 March – 3 April 2010
Times: Tuesdays 23 March at 7.00pm & Tuesday 30 March at 7.00pm, Wednesday – Fridays at 8.00pm, Saturdays 5.00pm and 8.00pm, Late show Thursday 1 April at 10.00pm
Tickets: $16.50 – $37 + min booking fee $1.50
Bookings: www.malthousetheatre.com.au | 03 9685 5111