At times hard to follow and at others uniquely resonant, Maggie Widdoes’ one-woman show Stay Big and Go Get ‘Em is the perfect example of how the Fringe brings what you least expect, at the time its needed most.
A mile-a-minute performance about fear, grief and horniness
Instantly likeable with her wide-eyed energy and unapologetic physicality, Widdoes prefaces the show by saying it is NOT stand-up, but rather a comedic life story. With our expectations set, Widdoes loops us in on her bumpy life path thus far, going from fretful pre-schooler to Korn-loving ‘Good Time Girl’ to the self-aware adult she is today.
With the frenetic energy of someone you won’t be surprised to learn has ADHD, an easily distracted Widdoes does herself a disservice by trying to fit so many ideas into one hour. By the show’s end, there are a million ideas scattered across the floor, many of them references to American pop culture that don't necessarily travel that well. While some might find Widdoes’ truth nonsensical and a little perverted, her unabashed telling of her deepest fears and desires makes us all that little less ashamed of ourselves in the process.
Skilfully delivered with a linguistic precision that sometimes feels too well rehearsed, Stay Big and Go Get ‘Em is anything but thrown together. It’s a carefully thought-out exploration of life in all its intricacies, with baby Widdoes at its centre, growing and learning in each moment.
The show tackles some dark themes, including depression and suicide but stays buoyant with the aid of multimedia slides showcasing cartoon characters in compromising positions. Childlike but mature, chill but not, smart but dumb (by her own measure), Widdoes’ show exemplifies her own contradictions and finds acceptance in the process.
And as her therapist says, that is OK.
