REVIEW: Every Single Thing In My Whole Entire Life, Zoë Coombs Marr – Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Zoë has achieved some amazing things in the past year – including hosting Queerstralia on the ABC and being diagnosed with ADHD. Yeah, she’s not surprised if you didn’t recognise it in a woman who talks at a million miles an hour and has decided to divide her life up into seven-year increments as a way to catalogue her jokes and battle depression. Oh, wait.

I’ve seen two great “list shows” this Comedy Festival – though the structure is the only thing that Julian and Lou’s shows have in common. Zoë’s show attempts something even wilder, as suggested by the title – she’s ready to tell you every single thing in her whole entire life.

It’s a thrill-ride of an hour up that zooms from her long-term relationship, to a random make-out session at the Imperial, to Timothee Chalamet, to a frog in a toilet, to her very first memory, to a brief mention of her first (and only) marriage, and on and on and on…

Each night will be a different show, though, because the audience can see Zoë’s whole life laid out on the tabs of a spreadsheet – helpfully arranged by topic and hyperlinked where required. Go prepared to scour the lists, ready to shout out what you want to hear from her next. I kinda wish I’d heard her Ricki Lake anecdote. But, be warned, you probably won’t hear her Steiner school joke.

Zoë is always very open about the ups-and-downs of her life. Sometimes, maybe too open? Be warned, some of the Every-Single-Things in her life are very dark – but she’s still here and she’s fine and laughing her way through. While making us laugh, hoot and snort, too.

I love Zoë's work and this show... um... excels!

- Keith Gow, Theatre First

Zoë Coombs Marr is on for the whole run of the Comedy Festival until April 21