Playing at the Motley Bauhaus, Carlton every night until April 19. Tickets and more information available at comedyfestival.com.au/ally-morgan/
Ally Morgan’s delightful one woman show If You’re Hearing This is best summed up as what you’d get if Rachel Bloom starred in Project Hail Mary, a winning concoction that is equal parts sweet and hilarious.
The talented Morgan is our guide through the cosmos, playing a woman fed up with the current state of the planet (who could blame her?), who decides to don a homemade space suit and gets into a rocket of her own design to flee Earth on her own.
But the loneliness and solitude of infinite space sees her start her own radio broadcasts to an unseen intergalactic audience, and she’s shocked to get a call from one of her listeners – a friendly alien she quickly forms a deep bond with.
As they learn about each other’s lives and culture, Morgan proceeds to explain to her reasons for leaving her life behind as well as giving the E.T. a deep dive into millennial cultural touchstones.
Morgan’s talents are on full display here, pulling off a supremely complicated show on a technical level with aplomb. There is so much going on in the show, and the energy levels it must take to pull this off is daunting, but Morgan is more than up for the task.
Morgan makes use of multiple guitars and a keyboard throughout to score her extremely clever lyrics, the highlight of which is her love letter to her obsessions as a youth of the early 2000s, with great use of visuals on the venue’s video screen to aid the songs immeasurably.
The message at the heart of Morgan’s show is instantly relatable, and the ultimate resolution is ultimately an uplifting and positive one. Morgan is a naturally funny and affable performer, and is more than up for the challenge she has set herself with a very ambitious show.
The talent of musical comedians we have in this country is truly astounding, and Morgan proves herself to be as good as any you’d care to name, with a selection of terrific songs, a couple of which I still have rattling around in my head a couple of days after seeing the show.
If you’re in the mood for something sweet, silly and full of heart, If You’re Hearing This is a wonderful hour that is a wonderful showcase for Morgan’s out of this world talents.
4/5 Stars
TINSEL and TAP SHOES 