Become a Functional Adult in 45 Minutes

With a title like this it’s hard not to be intrigued. Straight out of the fire that was Fringeworld in Perth, Sophie Joske has a brief interlude before heading into the frying pan of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Her one-woman show has been tweaked and she heads to the familiar ground of The Brisbane Hotel where she is a regular part of improvisational comedy troupe The Big Hoo Haa.

Walking in, the tiny brick-wall lined stage is set up with a flow chart, projector and a few seats. This is Sophie’s final exam in how to be a functional adult. She nervously awaits the Logan’s Run type voiceover that has been teaching her how to shirk her stupid childhood ways – enjoying cereal, cartoons and Bill Murray – to being what is deemed a ‘functional adult’ – liking asparagus, wine and salad. Joske tackles tough issues like sexuality, dating and femininity really stripping bare the preconcieved notions that society holds for all of us.

Joske is the master of sarcastic awkwardness. She declares to us all that prior to attending the institute, she was in possession of an arts degree. Her wide-eyed manic laugh says it all – this is a show where you can laugh with abandon and recognise yourself in the antics of its poor, awkward protaganist. Of course, trying to be something you’re not inevitably fails and Joske deftly tackles this idea head on and with incredibly funny results.

If you don’t feel like a real adult and want a great laugh, head over to Melbourne to catch Become a Functional Adult in 45 Minutes and you will leave with a good sense of your place in the world.

Become a Functional Adult in 45 Minutes will play at Club Voltaire in North Melbourne from the 23rd to 28th September 2015 as part of Melbourne Fringe.