Sophie Santos…Is Codependent details Santos’ journey through their breakup, narrating the tale combining both comic storytelling and song, embodying conversations with their personified OCD.
Strives to weave humour and introspection into their tale of self discovery and growth
It is always exciting to see an artist combine multiple disciplines into their show, especially when a vocoder is involved. Santos gets creative in their set, with an array of lights, voice over, vocal effects and video backgrounds. Whilst the high level of production is effective in creating an atmosphere, the writing is at times discordant with the lavish staging as it doesn’t provide enough of a foundation to work with. These moments run the risk of disengaging the audience and straying from the purpose of the storyline.
Notably, Santos puts forth considerable effort to elicit laughter from their audience and they have charisma on stage. Their delivery can sometimes come across as strained, which can occasionally overshadow the genuine moments of humour that do emerge from their anecdotes. This spills over into some of their lyrics which, while catchy, often become repetitive and don’t contribute as meaningfully to the storyline as their potential suggests.
The personification of their OCD resonates with the audience at first: the idea is both relatable and whimsical. At times, however, some of these moments can come across as clichéd and detract from the overall impact of the performance. Perhaps if Santos structured these moments to surprise the audience more, it would be beneficial in better capturing their attention. It is very difficult to transition from high energy performance to quieter moments of reflection, and while moments of sincerity do arise throughout the performance, they can be undermined by instances where Santos’ performance feels curated in the same style as their stand-up. This can disrupt the emotional connection between the performer and the audience, making it difficult to fully engage with the deeper layers of the material.
Sophie Santos…Is Codependent strives to weave humour and introspection into their tale of self discovery and growth. Some of their execution detracts from the potential impact of the show, and moments of genuine sincerity are sometimes hindered, preventing the audience from fully immersing themselves in the narrative. With refinements to its pacing, comedic execution, and the avoidance of cliché, the show has the potential to strike a more harmonious balance and create a stronger connection with its audience.
