“Whelan Browne’s performance charts a course through pain and anger, vulnerability and strength that is both moving and utterly hilarious”
Christie Whelan Browne had the audience laughing and in the palm of her hand from the very first minute she walked down through the cabaret style tables in front of the stage. She is charming, self-deprecating and authentic as Britney, and drew us in to the extraordinary life of the little girl whose mother enrolled her in pageants and pushed her hard to get work on TV; the child who grew from a clean living Disney girl on the Mickey Mouse Club into a troubled teen, had issues with drink and drugs and then had to struggle to grow up and fight to get her children back.
This life, lived so much in the public eye, is laid out for us again, from the perspective of Britney herself. There is a sense of bewilderment at some of the things she has done and some of the things that have been done to her. There are bitchy moments, Christina Aguilera doesn’t come off too well, and beautifully funny airhead moments.
There is a strong confessional element to the evening as ‘Britney’ lays herself bare, not pulling the punches. The energy and truthfulness of Whelan Browne’s performance charts a course through pain and anger, vulnerability and strength that is both moving and utterly hilarious. All proving the point that growing up famous isn’t easy.
It’s a tour de force performance, well supported by Mathew Frank on piano. The theatre was full and there was a unanimous standing ovation. You may not be able to get a ticket, but do try. Whether you know or like Britney Spears is irrelevant, you would enjoy this even if you had never heard of her. It’s a pity that there are so few performances and I hope Christie Whelan Browne will return to do more.
