Caitlin Cook: Death Wish – Review by Kelly Luck

For this reviewer, one of the most compelling parts of the Fringe Festival is the autobiographical solo show. Every year we encounter fascinating people with a tale to tell and the ability to do so in an entertaining way. Take Ms Caitlin Cook, whose one-woman show blends music, humor, a bit of art history, and autobiography for a most entertaining and moving hour.

Ms. Cook lives by an unusual dictum: if something scares her, she must do it. This rule has taken her from one end of the country to the other, across the sea, into the sky, under the water, and eventually onto the stage. It even took her to that most terrifying of places, the modern schoolroom. She takes the audience along for the ride with a combination of stories, original songs, and more.

The performance is quick and lively, Ms Cook an able performer. Her songs are very much their own style, and lyrically clever (one does not expect to come across a lyric quite like “Love me like Jack the Ripper loved murdering people” again any time soon). There were moments one couldn’t quite keep up with the lyrics, but they were thankfully in the minority. Overall, recommended.