If there’s ONE place for this show… it’s Fringe Anne Zander is MOTHER review by Andrea Noga

There are some things that, perhaps naively, I never thought I would see onstage. However, Fringe shows us every year that going in with any expectations is the biggest mistake you can make.

Anne Zander is MOTHER is a clown physical comedy about the experience and aftermath of childbirth, told mainly through movement with minimal dialogue. The show begins with Zander, the show’s playwright and only actor, painstakingly moving a bucket of ice across the stage before giving birth to a backpack. And if you think that sounds somewhat insane, you should know that is only how the show starts, and it gets much, much more intricately unhinged from there.

Zander, as the central clown, is extremely committed. She never leans out of character for a moment, and frequently interacts with the audience, thinking of the right, comedic response without skipping a beat. While some of the bits she’s created do outstay their welcome, Zander is completely intune with the audience. When we begin to tire of the joke, she notices and moves on to the next one. She never breaks to laugh at her own outrageous actions, allowing her total commitment to elevate the comedy. Even when she’s eating her own “placenta” or genuinely pumping breast milk, (both appear in this show) she refuses to cheapen the jokes. This show could go off the rails quite easily with some of the startling actions her character pursues, however Zander is a consummate professional and she keeps the show on-track.

As far as the script goes, it is not going to be for everyone. It is shocking on purpose, and dares the audience to keep watching. Some will not, (there was a walk-out early in the show I attended) however those who can stay will find themselves roaring with laughter over the surprising, yet hilarious actions Zander is willing to go through with. The show addresses the wild mood swings that come with giving birth, and while I cannot say I had a particularly strong personal or emotional reaction, those with more relevant experience may be able to see something in it that I could not. As I mentioned, some of the bits go on slightly too long, however you will forget all about that when the next one begins and you will laugh all over again. This is a 75 minute show that might hit its peak as a 60 minute show, though I cannot complain about having more Anne Zander.

This is a contentious show, and I would not be surprised to see a spectrum of reactions to this one. However, as far as my perspective goes, this is a side-splitting show that will surprise, and shock you. Zander’s confidence knows no bounds, and her clown character even more so. Love it or hate it, you’d be hard pressed to not be entertained by Anne Zander is MOTHER.