Uhk Mon Say! And off goes the bottle cap.
Colin Ebsworth’s stand-up, slash, anecdotal Fringe World show; Me, My Cult and I, will have you simultaneously enthralled and bowled over in laughter. The all too real experiences he shares of himself, his siblings, and his parents- who willingly joined the Unification Church and were matched randomly in an arranged marriage by self-proclaimed world leader of peace and full-time head cultist, Reverend Moon are enlightening to say the least.
The show takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the highs and lows of the impact this had on Colin, as he was raised, and what the church and its respective leader meant to his parents. Every minute is filled with interesting factual information spliced with an onslaught of hilarity and witty jokes, that do well to lighten the mood and keep the audience engaged, without feeling blue by the sometimes dark and graphic content. As Colin put it himself at the show's start, his intention isn’t to serve up a wealthy portion of depresso martinis.
It's an honest and heartfelt show, bolstered by raw, authentic story-telling that makes it all the more meaningful and impactful, obviously to Colin but to the audience too, as you get the chance momentarily, to share in experiences from Colin’s life and gain an illuminating glimpse into his family and what being a part of a real-world cult was like. Relatable jokes for both young adults and more senior audiences, coupled with top-notch delivery meant there was something for everyone to get a giggle from and the more serious moments didn’t go awry, rather feeling perfectly at place in the ebb and flow between joke and anecdote. Which at times were so brilliantly entangled they were one and the same.
If given the opportunity, I would happily stay and listen for many more hours, but the succinct one-hour show was elegantly crammed with enough to leave casual attendees adequately thrilled and fascinated. If you get the chance, do yourself a favour. Go see it! Don’t worry, you won't leave feeling indoctrinated.