Perky
Created by Megan Murphy and Leanna Williams
Produced by Will and Murph Productions (Montréal, Canada)
55M | Comedy
Content Warning: Mature Language, Sexual Content, Abrupt Loud Noise, Flashing Lights
By Eve Beauchamp
Per Mario, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, The Jonas Brother’s – PERKY touches on just about everything but herself.
(Yes, you read that right.)
Meet Perky: the 19-year-old closeted lesbian, struggling to find her truth and her way to the finish line. Hindered by fear and internalized homophobia, it is only through the help of her queer imaginary friend and a deep dive into her fantasies that she can finally find the strength to come … of age. With each new fantasy, the audience finds themselves transported to worlds of magic wands and X-rated puppets.
Created by Montreal artists, Megan Murphy and Leanna Williams, this is a quirky comedy for and about the new-generation queer folks who grew up in a world of fandoms and Tumblr. People who, feeling rejected by the real world, found solace in the accepting embrace of the internet.
All to say, the show is definitely aimed towards younger adult audiences. With its veiled sexual content and immense number of niche pop culture references, the comedic elements might not be accessible to all. But when it lands, it lands. (Singing along to “TTYLXOX”? Iconic.)
Murphy and Williams prove themselves to be skilled performers with undeniable chemistry. Even with the smaller late-night crowd, the theatre was not without its fair share of laughing-out-loud, thanks to the actors’ great comedic timing.
Both intentionally cringey and heartfelt, PERKY is a fun, offbeat way to spend an evening that will have you reminiscing about the good old days of adolescence. For better or worse.
Perky is playing at LabO until June 24, 2023. Visit ottawafringe.com/fringe/ for the schedule and box office info. Read more reviews at https://apt613.ca/category/festival/fringe/.
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