The sketchy outlines of a good show were ultimately erased by a lacking stage presence.
Unfortunately, the potential of this original platform was never fully realised as a result of Gornick’s uncomfortable performance. Much of the show’s success depended upon us warming to her and becoming invested in her story. Gornick manifestly failed to establish sufficient rapport with us such that moments which could have been very intimate instead felt a bit like going through the holiday photos of a stranger: uneasily voyeuristic and invasive. Our attention waned and eventually morphed into indifference as in-jokes fell flat and lengthy exposition grew tiring.
This was the culmination of a number of problems with Gornick’s delivery. Lacklustre and inconsistent accents felt artificial and isolating, while attempts at audience interaction better resembled one-sided jibes than opportunities to reciprocate the kind of vulnerability for which the show strived. Above all, Gornick never appeared to be truly confident in the performance space: she hid behind an unrealistic stage persona in the same way that she hid behind the physical barrier of her desk.
Gornick’s skill as a sketch and watercolour artist is clear (indeed, there is an opportunity to purchase the drawings after the show). However, it would have been easier to appreciate this had the projection of the action not been overexposed, making certain colours impossible to see.
The sketchy outlines of a good show were ultimately erased by a lacking stage presence.
