MICF: Writing from the heart

I don’t think it’s possible to see Kate McLennan on stage and not adore her. She’s one of the funniest people around and her honest writing proves that the difference between good writing and great writing is how much it comes from the heart.

This style of stand up in Homeward Bound is different from her character-based comedy seen in other festival shows like the much-awarded The Debutant Diaries and Dead River, but terrific writers make their lives far more interesting than fiction and her honesty makes for a much more intimate experience.

A while back, Kate was in a relationship. They’d bought Global knives together; it was serious. But it ended. Being a performer meant that Kate moved back to Geelong with her parents, but how could her broken heart compare to her dad’s prostate cancer and her younger sister’s upcoming wedding?

So on her first day back in her teenage bedroom, as her raw heart was pumping pain, Kate’s sister took her to a bridal expo, which isn’t as painful as the advice from her extended family about how to deal with being 31 and on the shelf.

Using the gorgeous device of letters to her baby niece (nieces and nephews really are brilliant), Kate brings us her family with hilarious observation that’s sharper than a Global knife with a love that’s its own lifetime guarantee.

My only disappointment was that I didn’t see it earlier.

PS. Kate, I’ve NEVER been a bridesmaid!