“I See Me and Meryl Streep” is a new comedy cabaret from Australia, about a young girl prepping for GCSE Drama. She’s been given a task, to emulate and prepare a presentation based on her acting idol (sounds easy right?). Spoiler: her idol is Meryl Streep, and is not Selena Gomez or Lily James, who cop a fair bit of flack in this particular show.

This comedy cabaret is well-written, fast-paced and witty, with some great running gags and good one-liners. It’s a fun concept and the songs are also wonderfully chosen.

The visual presentation is clever, and well utilised in this instance, but not overwhelming.

The direction by Monique Salle is passable and a little conventional at times. There’s not a lot of blocking other than moments of need when costume changes are happening or video and audio cues are enabled.

Alexandra Keddie is a talented actress but her performance here feels a little underwhelming. Her impression of Meryl Streep is good but not alarmingly similar. Her impressions of Meryl Streep as a character seem more in-depth than her impression of Meryl herself. There are moments when she’s impersonating Meryl, and it feels as though she’s on auto-pilot, and there’s not a lot of joy or intention behind her action. Comparatively, when she’s playing the young, Meryl Streep-obsessed, teenage Meryl, her eyes are alive and joy is boundless.

Her voice is good but doesn’t wow in this particular instance, and her two co-stars (playing the roles of her sister, Diane, and cousin, Jessica), outshine her in all the choreography.

The piano on stage is a fairly useless prop, used for one or two gags and then discarded, and feels like a missed opportunity to add to the cabaret vibe with live music, rather than backing tracks (which are mostly pre-recorded piano accompaniments anyway!)

The lighting design and costumes all add to the fun and sparkle of this particular show, working in tandem with the script and gags.

The show is, for sure, a fun night out (unless you’re a fan of Selena or Lily), and a light-hearted comedy to unwind after a long day. However, there are surely elements of the show that could be lifted to bring it to a higher standard.

For more information about “I See Me and Meryl Streep” and future productions at The Other Palace, please click on the link below.

Three Stars.

Review by Olivia Ruggiero.

https://theotherpalace.co.uk/