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First Rule of Living Tall: Live Tall!
Living Tall is basically an entirely perfect one man show, and it’s only playing at the Tarragon Extra Space until Sunday, so you’d better get your act in gear. The script by Mike Geither is tight, hilarious and fascinating, Karin Randoja’s direction is focused and inventive and Ker Wells’ performance is astounding and completely compelling. The show, which was quite successful at this year’s SummerWorks festival, is structured as a pop psychology sales seminar delivered by a man who seems slightly unhinged, if shockingly energetic. The seminar details a multi-step plan to become a more successful salesperson based on the concept of “living tall,” even if you aren’t tall yourself. Wells prances around the stage like an acrobat who’s had a few too many Red Bulls, using hilariously unhelpful transparencies on an overhead projector as visual aids.
What’s really interesting about this show is how gradually it slips into the completely insane place it ends up. Wells works so well with Geither’s script, so that when the direction of the show veers drastically away from the initial point of the seminar and into the unreliable realm of Wells’ character’s personal history, you realise that that’s actually where the whole thing has been heading the entire time.
This is compelling, fantastic stuff, something along the lines of Rick Miller’s and Daniel Brooks’ acclaimed Bigger Than Jesus, although more personal. And it’s only an hour long! You really should go see it, don’t you think?