This is a biographical solo play with music, following the life and career of New Zealander Deb Filler, framed around her encounters with music and the people who make it. Simply set with a stool and two guitars, supported by projections of real family photos on a small screen behind, Deb paints the picture of her experiences around the world — from a small girl singing Judy Garland songs in a talent show to an accomplished musician creating a documentary in Toronto after visiting Auschwitz with her dad who survived the camp.
Deb’s performance is playful and engaging — but it is at its best when she expresses through song, armed with her guitars. There are some lovely moments of audience participation and even sing along, which are quite heartwarming.
There are a few moments that drag, and the overall script could be tightened up slightly through the middle, but on the whole it is the kind of show I can imagine my parents grinning through. A heartwarming and hopeful 90 minutes.