"Maybe He's Born With It, Maybe It's ADHD" offers a poignant exploration of living with ADHD, extending a warm embrace to those who've similarly felt different, misunderstood, or perhaps felt a little…disorderly in a more orderly world. Beyond mere comedic entertainment, this show provides an immersive journey into the neurodiverse universe, delivering a thought-provoking, uplifting, and heartfelt experience.
Colin Ebsworth showcases his mastery of storytelling, weaving humour, vulnerability, and wit while guiding the audience through his journey from childhood experiences to his adult diagnosis. Illuminating the realities of a sometimes chaotic, often misunderstood world, he shares the profound impact this context has had on his life.
From the get-go, Ebsworth establishes a genuine connection with the audience, fostering community through clever 'market research' that engages attendees based on their relationship with ADHD. This comedic icebreaker not only identifies his target audience, but also cultivates a sense of belonging.
While Ebsworth dismisses the notion of similarity to a TED talk, his performance, rich in energy and multimedia engagement, could easily transcend to such a platform. Using a soundboard and an enthusiastic audience member, he hilariously portrays the distractibility and thought tangents of the ADHD brain, balancing humour against the associated frustrations that ensue.
The show delves into familiar themes from past school reports, echoing feedback like "needs to focus" and "disruptive to others". The audience shares knowing nods and chuckles, underscoring the early challenges of not quite conforming to societal expectations.
Ebsworth fearlessly navigates us through the emotional rollercoaster of living with ADHD, eliciting frequent laughter from the crowd, interspersed with a few sniffles and wet cheeks. Progressing deeper, he explores the darker aspects—struggles with exclusion, rejection, and the pervasive feeling of being misunderstood.
Rather than dwelling on these struggles, the show came full circle by celebrating the unique strengths and perspectives ADHD offers, while carefully not glossing over the very real challenges faced. Ebsworth highlights the advantages of creativity, empathy, passion, and 'outside the box' thinking, reframing the beautiful chaos of the neurodiverse mind as a societal keystone, perhaps yet to be realised.
Whether intimately familiar with ADHD, connected to someone who is, or simply seeking an hour of laughter, education and community, "Maybe He's Born With It, Maybe It's ADHD" is a must-see.