Presented by Liv Rocklin
Review by Eve Nugent
Just The Bottle Room at Just The Tonic at The Mash House
Liv Rocklin is genuinely brave to summon the energy to perform An American (Not) in Paris, considering that she is still suffering from severe jetlag – from her study-abroad in Paris, six years ago, of course.
Blending storytelling with original song and spontaneous dancing, she tells the story of moving to France from the States on an exchange programme, fuelled almost entirely by the dream of recreating The Lizzie McGuire Movie: if Lizzie could go to Rome on a school trip and fall in love with Paolo, surely Paris would offer the same romantic fulfilment? Hence the reoccurring question Rocklin asks herself – WWLMD? Or, more universally understood as: what would Lizzie McGuire do?
Along the way, there’s a hilariously random Tinder date with ‘Pierre’ – although that is not his real name but just one that makes him sound considerably more French. The journey is punctuated by projected photos of Rocklin in real life, which add a personal touch and help bring her memories to life. Then, suddenly, Covid-19 brings her Parisian dream to an abrupt end. Rocklin’s instinct is to blame the nation itself, justifying her personal vendetta against all things French – this becomes part of the show’s broader, very funny satire on our fruitless attempts to control everything around us.
Beneath the self-deprecating humour, filled with jokes about her OCD, loneliness and being gluten-free, something more vulnerable and honest is revealed. Rocklin captures the frustration of discovering that, after 26 years of trying, maybe sometimes you just must accept that c’est la vie. Funny, likeable, and surprisingly heartfelt, An American (Not) in Paris is an engaging hour of storytelling, original songs and self-reflection.
Engaging Storytelling
An American (Not) in Paris runs Venue 288,Just The Bottle Room at Just The Tonic at The Mash House at 18:10
Running time – Sixty minutes
Review by Eve Nugent (contact@corrblimey.uk)
An undergraduate French student at the University of Edinburgh, Eve has a diverse interest in theatre and performance. Her primary devotion is acting, predominantly at Bedlam Theatre with her fellow students, but also with French group ‘Les Escogriffes’ who perform annually at the French Institute of Scotland.
Her creative attention stretches also to classical music, as she enjoys playing the flute, piano and guitar. She thus looks forward to watching whatever the Fringe has to offer, irrespective of genre!
