Ron

Riverside Studios

It's a wild ride of a one-man show! It's all over the place, with sparks of energy. It's something different for Pride Month, with wacky visuals... that are cool but don't always make sense.

When McDonald’s mess up my order, I get pretty annoyed too, but I’m not sure I’d consider cannibalism. No, I’m joking, that’s not the point of this show. What a great show to watch this Pride Month. Ron is a one-man show written and performed by Ted Walliker.

The story is a little crazy, but it’s all about the storyteller, Tony, describing this wild story about him and his best friend Mike. You realise, as Tony tells the story, he is suppressing his feelings for his childhood best friend Mike, but he can’t hide it the more it goes on. It’s a quirky story, which isn’t always the easiest to follow; the comedy doesn’t always quite land. However, it feels personal and ‘Tony’ has full control of the story, whatever the audience thinks. The deeper you get into the story, the darker and wilder it gets. There’s so much character, and the way ‘Tony’ longs for Mike to reciprocate his feelings is heartbreaking. You long for them to be together, too! Even though you don’t even know or see Mike. It’s a wild and a little confusing one-man show, and it’s worth watching for something a bit different. The hour does feel a little long, but some moments draw you in.

To do a one-man show and keep the audience engaged in the story is quite the challenge, and Ted Walliker threw his full energy into it. It’s a bit all over the place, but he guides the audience through Tony’s story with exuberance and awareness. He connects with the audience well and breaks the fourth wall, which sometimes seems unplanned, but when you watch closely, it’s all planned. Some clever choices in there.  It’s interesting how he uses different methods of voice, set and costume to show different characters in the story. However, some choices don't always land or make sense; for instance, he takes his trousers off a couple of times, and it isn't quite clear why. He is very comfortable with the audience, but the moments that are clearly planned, such as when he takes a fresh beer from one of the stage crew and takes a sip and spits it out, this was supposed to look like he was taking a drink from a random audience member, not liking it and giving it back to them. It's clearly planned, and it doesn't quite land.

One of the most interesting elements is the use of set, lighting and sound. It doesn't always sync up perfectly, but it is rather quirky. There is a moment he uses his hands and the lighting to create characters with the shadows; this moment is funny and a bit different. Whilst this moment does go on a bit long, it doesn't really make sense; it's a really odd scene. The idea that one of the characters is on a weird trip and sees their mum's spirit is really odd; it's supposed to be a joke that their mum isn't actually dead. This is another comic moment that doesn't quite land as well as expected. However, this different texture is intriguing and fun. The lighting and sound were designed by Ted Walliker, and the set by Lev Govorovski and Ted Walliker. One of the most shocking set moments is when they reveal a car in a wood; it's such an interesting visual. There is so much beauty in all of the little details that are thought out in this one-man show. It just needs to be clearer why each choice was selected.

This show has a heartbreaking story; it shows the importance of being true to who you are and not having judgment for who you love. There are so many creative moments that will wow you, comedy moments, some may not land, but others may be to your taste. There's something for everyone. Just because there are moments that don't land with me, doesn't mean you aren't going to love it! Everyone has different tastes, it's worth watching, and it really is something different! Creating and performing a one-man show is difficult, and Walliker engages the audience with his quirky energy. I admire the authenticity and crazy story. Let's see how it develops!