Review: Riki Lindhome's 'Dead Inside' Offers Witty Take on Fertility Struggles
Riki Lindhome’s one-woman musical comedy, Dead Inside, currently playing at London’s Soho Theatre, transforms her challenging journey to motherhood into a witty and emotionally resonant performance. The review highlights how Lindhome balances humor with the heavy realities of fertility issues, including failed IVF treatments, multiple surgeries, relationship breakups, and rejection as an adoption candidate due to her past comedic work with Garfunkel and Oates. Despite the potentially uncomfortable subject matter, the show is praised for its modest production values and lack of self-indulgence. Lindhome uses songs to explore topics ranging from pregnancy loss to surrogacy, ultimately delivering a narrative that is both bittersweet and entertaining. The performance refreshes the trauma-comedy genre by engaging the audience’s heart and mind while maintaining a light touch on serious health and social issues surrounding reproductive challenges. The reviewer notes the show’s ability to compel full engagement through its honest, demure, and beautifully judged storytelling.
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Review: Riki Lindhome's 'Dead Inside' Offers Witty Take on Fertility Struggles
Riki Lindhome’s one-woman musical comedy, Dead Inside, currently playing at London’s Soho Theatre, transforms her challenging journey to motherhood into a witty and emotionally resonant performance. The review highlights how Lindhome balances humor with the heavy realities of fertility issues, including failed IVF treatments, multiple surgeries, relationship breakups, and rejection as an adoption candidate due to her past comedic work with Garfunkel and Oates. Despite the potentially uncomfortable subject matter, the show is praised for its modest production values and lack of self-indulgence. Lindhome uses songs to explore topics ranging from pregnancy loss to surrogacy, ultimately delivering a narrative that is both bittersweet and entertaining. The performance refreshes the trauma-comedy genre by engaging the audience’s heart and mind while maintaining a light touch on serious health and social issues surrounding reproductive challenges. The reviewer notes the show’s ability to compel full engagement through its honest, demure, and beautifully judged storytelling.
The Guardian