Reviewed by: Fringefeed
Review by Mia Fraser | 22 January 2023

The Basement at The Stables made a great venue for “The Confessional”, a cosy hour of gossip and laughs. Delby and McLaren welcomed the audience with a range of hilarious stories from previous shows, setting the scene for the audience’s own confessions. And there was everything.

There was wholesome, there was scandalous, there was shocking and there was relatable. One attendee admitted to hoping planes would crash as they flew over the Swan River in order to make their work day more interesting. Another confessed to having been tested for Ebola after returning from a bender overseas. Another had quite an ingenious way to make use of unwanted birth control tablets. Delby and McLaren drew them all together with improvised anecdotes and questions.

This is a show that would vary greatly from night to night based on the crowd and their stories, and you could watch it over and over with a different experience. In saying that, I would have enjoyed more commentary by Delby and McLaren on each of the stories to build them out, as a few were quickly brushed over and others lacked the extra detail that would’ve made them memorable.

An enjoyable aspect of the show was the sense of friendship and camaraderie created amongst audience members, with everyone taking a step back to laugh at themselves and all the silly things they have done. However despite this, the show ultimately seemed confused about whether it was trying to be supportive or make fun of audience members' mistakes, slightly missing the mark on both counts.

Overall, an entertaining show perfect for those who enjoy a light spot of gossip, and who aren’t afraid to poke fun at themselves. Bring your best mate, your partner but probably not your grandma and settle in for a scandalous night.