I, Claudia
Assembly @ George Street
5-30 August, 15:40
Claudia is
12 and three quarters and having a tough time of it: her parents are getting
divorced and she’s not popular with her peers. Her refuge, much to the
consternation of the janitor, is the school boiler room, where she stashes her
secret things and goes to escape the sadness that overwhelms her following her
weekly visits with her father.
With just a
couple of pieces of clothing and three initially disconcerting masks, Canadian writer and
performer Kristen Thomson tells Claudia’s story. She is the girl one
moment, the Eastern European janitor the next and Lesley, Claudia’s father’s
new girlfriend soon after that, utterly convincing in all three. Thomson’s
portrayals are full of humour, but also offer surprising flashes of
vulnerability that frequently bring the audience close to tears.
I, Claudia is an ordinary story made extraordinary by Thomson’s wonderfully expressive performance.
