Michael DeBartolo, in his self-exposing narrative show, asks us “where is home when you’ve been running for so long?”. Looking to Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, who spends the film desperate to return to Kansas, DeBartolo grapples with the feeling of not knowing where his “Kansas” truly is – even his home doesn’t quite seem to have space for him.
DeBartolo’s performance is slick, polished, and aloof – making his admissions of vulnerability all the more devastating. He serves up some of his most raw and crushing experiences on a platter for us to unpick, slipping easily into poetic expression before easing back into comfortable humour. Though DeBartolo’s show has no elaborate set, no choreographed dance numbers, ballads nor fictionalised characters, he manages to make us feel a spectrum of emotions through storytelling alone.
DeBartolo’s own secrets and denials, which are shared with us as if we were best friends at a sleepover, speak to a self-inflicted damage caused by running away from your own self. His ability to captivate despite such a stripped-back performance is an impressive testament to his talent as both a writer and performer. One wonders what he could create with even more.
Tell Me Where Home Is (I’m Starting to Forget), theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, until 23 Aug, 1.05pm (Aug 16, 10.15pm)