What I liked
The first half had me laughing out loud constantly! The videos were hilarious; Tobin is a tremendous comedic actor with an envious ability to transform. I loved watching his reaction in the dark while the videos were playing — how he interacted with them as his on-stage persona — this small detail says a lot about his great instinct and intelligence. The writing was brilliantly funny and clever!
The second half caught me completely by surprise. I’m still amazed at how Tobin pulled off such a total shift in tone. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say that his raw honesty and vulnerability is both heart-breaking and admirable.
I really liked the way the show ends — with a new entry in Tobin’s diary written live in front of the audience.
What I didn't like
It’s always a challenge to create a show that wants to shake the audience because it deals with “uncomfortable” issues but also provide the safe space for such a discussion to occur. Tobin did an excellent job “wakening” us up! I think there might still be some room for the second part to have the same effect on people — while also taking some of the “unsafety” away (which will actually add to the poignancy of the message).
My overall impression
This one-man show is absolutely hilarious and a masterpiece in character work… until it becomes something completely unexpected and a lesson in bravery, vulnerability and honesty.
