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While some of her poems may have you contemplating the one that got away rather than rolling in the aisles with laughter, self-proclaimed Poet Laureate Telia Nevile expertly guides a verbose tour of the wilds of romance in While I’m Away.

Nevile’s words are set to the dexterous shuffle of travel slides from around the world and she sets up her projector in Melbourne Town Hall’s Backstage Room. Gaining inspiration from these most famous tour destinations she waxes poetic about our favourite off-road adventure – the bumpy quest to love. Without becoming too clichéd, Nevile maintains an earnest demeanor while recounting her own perilous journeys in poems like, “I Broke My Heart on the Black Run of Your Emotions”. Metaphor intact, the crowd loudly applauded her ode to caveat emptor, “This Temple of Love is a Renovator’s Dream”.

Juxtaposing emotional words with just-as familiar images is a great conceit and Nevile confidently commands her material, often sneaking us a quick grin between numbers as if to say guess where we’re going next? When she pulls out a disco ball to re-create the mood of her first slow dance, she has us mesmerized in reminiscence. For our next adventure she takes us on “Safari” where we howl like wild animals. We cover a lot of ground through this short performance, so hang on to your heart!

Never far from a thesaurus-inspired punch line or an overzealous turn of phrase, Telia Nevile is disarmingly funny and the ideal bard to see us affectionately through our travels with her relatable and quirky verses. While I’m Away is a great addition to the antics of this year’s Comedy Festival and the ideal show for anyone yearning to get away from it all.


interior theatre presents
While I'm Away
Poet Laureate Telia Nevile

Venue: Melbourne Town Hall, Backstage Room | Cnr Swanston & Collins Sts, Melbourne
Dates: 6 - 18 April, 2010
Times: Tue - Sat 6.10pm, Sun 5.10pm
Duration: 35 minutes
Prices: Full $18, Concession $15, Tightarse Tuesday $13
Bookings: Ticketmaster 1300 660 013 | At the door
Visit: interiortheatre.weebly.com