Laugh-out-loud quirky take on communication

NI SHUo shénme (what did she say)? Is the term you will quickly learn as you try to decode what is happening in this show.

Hilariously funny and unashamedly unique, British comedian Louise Reay’s unusual production will leave you with a belly ache from laughter as you delve into a world where communication is key.

It’s Only Birds is punted as only having 7% verbal communication (at least that is the part you will be able to understand). Reay, who is fluent in Chinese, uses everyday objects to communicate with her audience.

The first thing you will hear as the performance starts, is an interesting rendition of the age-old nursery rhyme Old MacDonald Had a Farm, in Mandarin – from there you are taken into a world of stereotypical Chinese haggling while Reay tries to sell you items you do not actually need, to encouraging the audience to re-enact the music from Italian composer Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly.

Cleverly put together, although admittedly, mostly improvised, Reay’s antics get the audience so involved that they actually become part of the show. Understanding the show and what it aims to do is easy – from the start Reay uses visual cues to tell you what is happening – or does she?

Her act leaves you wondering how on earth people from different cultures communicate while realising that with the right methods of communication, anything is possible.

It is no surprise that Reay is an award-winning entertainer, recently awarded this year’s Adelaide Fringe Best Emerging Artist Award. She was also a nominee for the Edinburgh Fringe Groundbreaker Award last year.

And yes, birds do feature in the performance, not live ones, but they are there. – Devon Koen