Lynne Jassem: From Como to Homo

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“I had dreams covered in stardust,” announces Lynne Jassem, and it's an apt summary of her autobiographical hour. Recounting her experiences as a child TV star in the States, she points to pictures of her seven-year-old self as a singer and dancer supporting Perry Como. Unsurprisingly this is a cut-throat business, and her pushy and limelight-grabbing mother looms large throughout. There are tales of her times with her singing coach and ballet teacher, and Jassem embodies her memories as she brings these formative years to life.

So far, so showbiz. But there’s a twist. She sings ‘If I Was a Boy’, and tells of her growing realisation of her attraction to her female co-stars. In an age of simplistic and limiting onscreen gender roles she discovered she liked being seen as a tomboy. And she develops a male alter ego—Billy—whom she serenades in the mirror.

This is a highly theatrical show, evidencing decades of stagecraft. Jassem sings, tap dances and acts; you get your money’s worth. And it’s a cathartic experience, as she recounts long-standing medical problems that problematise her gender identity and which resulted in decades of psychotherapy. There’s so much to cram in here that she only manages to cover her first few decades in the hour, and it’s a shame that the narrative is not brought up to date. But there’s a final duet that suggests resolution and is powerful in its symbolic simplicity. She’s not ready to be shunted off into the wings.