You’d have to have a heart made of stone not to instantly warm to Tumi Morake. Her captivating personality complete with her booming, infectious laughter make listening to her story certain to be a wonderfully giggly journey.
In a leisurely-paced hour, Morake intelligently reflects on a variety of topics, stretching from her life in South Africa, both familial and political, to her journeys to and around Edinburgh. She tells it with a fresh honesty, which lets the audience feed off her visible enjoyment in relaying these snippets pinched from her life. With her exuberant energy and ability to depict hilariously farcical images, these tales bounce into their own lively form.
Much of the beauty of the show flows from the relaxed atmosphere established by Morake. Her run of comical anecdotes feel as if they have been selected specifically to suit the audience of the moment. This serves to make her chuckling at herself even more contagious and her gladness at the audience’s warm reaction could not feel more genuine. Unfortunately, there were times when Morake’s free and easy approach left her momentarily blank as to what to say next. However the audience’s trust never faltered, as a transitory gap would surely mean a hearty laugh was just around the corner.
Comical, comfortable and completely captivating, Tumi Morake left every member of her audience smiling.