How To Drink Wine Like A Wanker @ Zoo Southside
While perhaps not the most drinkable, Anna Thomas’ one-woman Wanker contains crisp notes of both joy and heartbreak, and gives a strong aftertaste of hope
From South Australia comes an authentic story of personal growth in line with the cultivation of a new passion; wine wankery. Anna Thomas brings her journey before us with clear blossoming love for wine, but also with the somewhat lukewarm approach of an actor falling back on their script and delivering a technical run. She seems too rehearsed, only present with us for glimmers here and there. Whether this is owing to how personal the material is or how self-deprecating the performance is (or something else entirely), we cannot be sure. Regardless, she still gives us the firm impression of a person who has been to hell and back and is ready to be generous with who she tells.
The show is certainly relatable in that we have all taken a jab at “wine wankers” and their florid expressions and superiority complexes at least once. Thomas is funny and sincere and knows when the moment has come to silence the room as she bravely relives soul-crushing personal experiences for us. The overall impact is, however, limited by the wine tasting being separated from the price of the ticket – if the analogy propping up the narrative is going to lean so heavily on the experience of six specific drinks, everybody ought to be able to participate fully. As it is, the £8.50 tasting is not made mention of until we enter the space and spot the menus on the tables, and the entire performance ends up being structured around it.
How To Drink Wine Like A Wanker, while a little flat in its execution, is courageous and warming and worthy of some fine-tuning.
How To Drink Wine Like A Wanker, ZOO Southside, run ended
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