A celebration of one man’s limitations and his yearning to take to the stage and share with an audience all the songs that have touched his soul (and other places), the critically acclaimed Gavin Roach marks his Melbourne International Comedy Festival debut with All The Songs I Can’t Sing at Tasma Terrace from 29 March 2017.
All The Songs I Can’t Sing adequately highlights that Gavin can’t sing. Well, maybe. He sometimes hits the notes. Rarely though. He’s tone deaf and has no concept of pitch. Nor does he have any appealing vocal quality. But dammit, that’s not going to stop him from trying. Or asking people to pay to watch.
“I grew up thinking that I could sing, without ever being able to differentiate between notes,” explains Gavin. “Even during primary school performances, I couldn’t understand why the audience was grimacing while I sung. I assumed it was everyone else? Once I found out and the tears and disbelief settled, I still felt utterly deflated and that I would be disappointing the masses. This is my chance to finally give something back.”
Since 2011’s smash hit Confessions of a Grindr Addict, Gavin Roach has also inflicted Any Womb Will Do, I Can’t Say the F Word and The Measure of a Man on ‘sold out’ houses in Melbourne. He has had hugely successful national and international tours of his work, and it should then come as no real surprise to anyone that he was the 2016 Artist of the Year at the GLOBE Community Awards.
With songs like Walking on Sunshine, Like a Prayer and Dancing On My Own in the mix, All The Songs I Can’t Sing promises to serve up more of Gavin’s trademark vibrancy, wit, and never-ending attempts to overachieve. It’s the pitch perfect show to catch during the 2017 MICF.
“Roach himself could charm anyone, and his impish stage persona makes the artificial construct of a theatrical narrative flow as naturally as any of Alan Bennett’s seminal talking heads.” – Fringe Journal
All The Songs I Can’t Sing
Tasma Terrace, 6 Parliament Place, East Melbourne
Season: 29 March – 8 April 2017 (preview: 28 March)
Information and Bookings: www.comedyfestival.com.au
Image: Gavin Roach – photo by Julyan Stephens