Getting dumped is not the kind of thing you want to sit around and talk about for hours on end, but for Andrew Silverwood, that’s exactly what he does and has done since 2012.
The UK lad unpacks his experiences in love and loss in a comical and wistful way through his show, My First 10 Sexual Failures and Other Stories About Growing Up.
The show travels through Silverwood’s various relationships and his experience growing up and includes a bit of song, a bit of dance (I think you would call it dance?), and little bit of crowd interaction – yes, I was the girl in the chair who Silverwood climbed under and proceeded to tell me I had ‘just given birth’ to him (funny yes, embarrassing also yes).
Silverwood is a charming storyteller, with the ability to respond to audience reactions effortlessly. He is witty, confident and not afraid to bare his heart (and his body) on stage.
The show is definitely packed with emotion, and Silverwood is great at using his body language to portray these sincere feelings. Through the comedy, there definitely is a more heartbreaking and serious undertone which is difficult to miss.
Like Silverwood’s love life, the show itself was a little confusing and messy. There were bursts of laughter from the crowd, but there were also moments of awkward silence. The structure of the story was difficult to keep up with and made the experience a little harder to enjoy.
Pair the sometimes unclear story line with some mildly offensive jokes, and you have yourself one confused audience. Maybe this was to represent his jumbled love life, who knows? I do know, however, that this show has a lot of potential but just needs a slight alteration in tone and some script clarity.
This UK boy sure does love a cup of tea (not coffee), but unfortunately he hasn’t executed making them great yet. This show just was not my cup of tea.
Don’t let me be the judge, get along to Silverwood’s show and see it for yourself. You may love it and you are guaranteed to have a little laugh. The show is interesting, insightful and quirky and Silverwood is crammed with charisma, so go and check it out!
We rate: ★★★ 3/5 stars
