OBSERVER: Rising Damp
When Melbourne based comedian, actor, and writer Nicolette Minster takes the stage at The Westin for her sarcastic, reflective, and often investigative show Rising Damp, her undeniably strong theatrical stage presence welcomes you to feel like you are listening to a sister vent over the phone, or nostalgically laughing until your ribs are sore with your best friend.
Proclaiming herself as an “aquatically gifted witch” Minster teaches us it’s okay to have a midlife crisis, to make mistakes, and to even slightly mortify ourselves.
Minster destroys the fear that we will diminish into our “what ifs” and encourages audiences through her self deprecating yet reflective humour to push their comfort zones and accept the curveballs life throws at us.
Minster is inviting and relatable – her experiences as an only child, a mother, an ex-squad swimmer, a victim of sebaceous cysts and, unreliable and unfortunate gastric reflexes are all tied up together in a somewhat philosophical reflection of not only the life Minster has lived so far, but the life she is building as she enters her forties.
Rising Damp is a masterclass in physical comedy and timing – Minster is theatrical and expressive, but not overly rehearsed, and has quick reflexes in responding to the crowd and working with her audience.
Nicolette Minster certainly keeps her head above water and, more importantly, has her audience absolutely swimming in laughter.
Review by Matilda Caughey