Review – Giovanni!
There is nowhere to hide in the Coocoolabazza Café (La Boheme) as Giovanni, Hew Parham’s endearing and charismatic alter ego, an Italian waiter struggling to keep his dying business alive, gets to know his audience very quickly. The show begins as Giovanni runs onstage in his underwear and dresses himself through an elaborate routine which includes pulling a cooked sausage out of his underwear. We are immediately on his side.
Parham is observant and quick off the mark, playing with whatever moment is happening around him. There is a sense of immediacy in his work, he is active and engaged, making the audience feel relaxed by his ability to handle the room, and at the same time excited by the unpredictability of what is to come.
A highlight included one audience member having to continuously leave their seat for the bathroom. What might have been an awkward moment for a more closed performer becomes part of the dialogue, not at anyone’s expense but in a way that makes the room feel united.
Parham switches between his different characters successfully, and eventually they begin to blur together in his fiery and impassioned final monologue. Parham opens his audience up with his delightfully honest and hilarious interaction, and also offers a slice of something deeper, if you wish to take it.
This is physical comedy at it’s best. An earnest and openhearted performance that leaves you tired from laughing yet full to the brim with the feeling you just experienced something rather special.
