August 19, 2005

Lipsynch artist Bradford Louryk is flawless as Christine Jorgensen. Christine Jorgensen was a famous transsexual in 1950's America. She returned from surgery in Denmark to America, a beautiful woman, only to be greeted by three hundred photographers and the avid curiousity, d isgust and freak - show mentality of the American public. This performance is a record of the only interview she ever did, played to the lip-synching of Louryk. The result is mesmerising.

Christine had a beautiful voice, deep, measured and graceful. What strikes me is her grace in the face of some truly crass questions, and the accompanying grace of Louryk's physicality. He plays her beautifully. I am only rarely reminded that the sounds are not coming out of Louryk's mouth during the occasional blip in the recording. The illusion is consistently maintained with great mental and physical focus.

Only the face of the interviewer is seen on a televison screen on stage. While it can be visually exhausting to watch both the real, physical Christine and the grainy image of the interviewer at the same time, it cleverly enhances the bodily reality of Christine, and makes her the central focus of the peice. She is almost brought back to life. I am moved intensely by what she had to go through, and grateful that I have learned about her and her life. She is inspirational. Louryk gives her voice a body, but the audience does not ever forget that she was real. This is a truly amazing performance, and a gorgeous show. Perfect.

- Ariadne Cass