Review: A Sunday Story

Tales of family and home that are more draft than polished stories

★★
comedy review (adelaide) | Read in About 1 minute
Published 18 Feb 2019
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Elisa Cristallo A Sunday Story

Elisa Cristallo invites us to settle in for an hour of storytelling – some stories will be funny, some more serious. What follows are a series of interconnected anecdotes that tell us of Cristallo’s relation to the domestic.

We learn of her childhood home, off the grid in rural NSW in a sort of Tiny Home ahead of its time. Cristallo then cuts back two generations to share her grandparent’s migration story, told through the voice of her Nonna, in the most heartwarming and attention-grabbing story and performance of the set. Finally, Cristallo and her partner navigate the rental market in modern day Western Sydney. 

Each of the stories bring a light-touch to issues of race, class, migration and contemporary Australian politics. While this is reasonably well executed, the plot lines of the stories need development and a stronger narrative. Cristallo’s performance fails to pack the emotional punch needed to keep us glued to our seats. These are ordinary tales from the everyday and while relatable, they are also unremarkable.

A Sunday Story has its moments, but remains a working draft.