A review of “Postpardon Me,” written and performed by Liesel Hlista, and directed and developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson at The BFF Fringe Festival.
I was supposed to see this magical play last year, 2020, as part of the Solofest at the marvelous Whitefire Theatre. Unfortunately, after a couple of date changes and a valiant effort by all concerned, it was cancelled. Covid may have put the kibosh on a 2020 premiere, but fortunately for us all, it’s finally here. Well, it was worth the wait I can tell you.
Liesel Hlista is a natural storyteller and a gifted performer. Her hilarious and extremely touching story of pregnancy, birth and the aftermath is beautifully balanced, poignant and highly entertaining.
Complete with reworked classic musical numbers and graphic, brilliant, gorgeously choreographed physical reenactments. Bold enough to make her family in the audience blush a little, even as they beamed with pride…I was seated next to them.
“Postpardon Me” is a wonderful show and Liesel is a dream. Beautiful, goofy, Lucy-esque in her ability to be graceful and graphic and sidesplittingly funny all at once.
She takes us through her life from meeting her rather hunky and profoundly sweet husband, to their engagement, wedding and subsequent pregnancy, birth and babyhood.
I have seen many, many solo shows. I love this genre. But some just stand out. Some performers are so possessed by the stories they tell and so enlivened by the audience they tell them to that something magical happens. A blissful epoch manifests, the universe sighs and hearts are melted.
“Postpardon Me” is a triumph. Liesel flits deftly from anecdote to song to glorious interpretation of her various bodily parts with uncanny effortlessness.
Her depiction of her own adorable vagina is hilarious and oddly accurate in gynecological scale, although obviously I don’t actually know what her hoo hoo looks like. It just seems right. Anyway! Every second was absolutely brilliant. And I know I have a tendency to the positive in everything theatre, but in this case I can assure you brilliant is very accurate praise.
Unfortunately, Liesel has only one date for this show lined up and it has passed now. But, I am sure she will be performing “Postpardon Me” sometime soon. Public demand will surely make it so!
I truly loved this show, everyone in the very packed audience also loved, if applause and cheering is anything to go by. Jessica Lynn Johnson, the doyenne of solo theatre, guided Liesel in her creative development and also directed the show. They made an incredible team!
You can find out more about Liesel and see where she might be performing again on her social media.