Toronto Fringe Review: Jon Bennett: AMERICAN'T

Jon Bennett: American’t details the titular Jon Bennett’s experience as a touring performer when COVID lockdowns began in 2020. As an Australian touring performer with no real home base, Bennett becomes stuck in America, living with an audience member turned one night stand for longer than either of them anticipated. Eventually, he is able to return to Australia, to live with his family on their farm where he grew up. Bennett describes the oddities of the people he’s suddenly forced into close proximity with, the disconnect he feels with his family, and his depression and suicide attempt. Despite some heavy subjects, Bennett’s humour shines throughout the show.

Bennett is an experienced and compelling storyteller, able to turn the absurdity of his struggles into comedy, accompanied by a slideshow presentation that helps bring to life the eccentricities of the people he interacts with. My personal favourite use of the slideshow was to share video and voice messages from his friend’s young daughter, who he was supposed to meet before lockdown started. His personable, honest way of talking gives the audience the feeling of listening to a stranger telling stories of their misadventures at a bar.

While this is not an issue exclusive to Bennett, I do always find it a bit ironic when people talk about COVID in the strictly past tense, as if the virus itself ended with the lockdowns (spoiler alert: it didn’t). There’s a disconnect with people making art about their lockdown experiences while not acknowledging the current reality of the ongoing pandemic.

That being said, Bennett’s unique experience and sense of humour highlights the ridiculousness of the situations he finds himself in going back and forth between America and Australia, even when those situations veer into slightly traumatic territory. I appreciated his openness in talking about the good, the bad, and the downright silly parts of his time during lockdown.

AMERICAN'T is on now until July 11 at the Toronto Fringe. Show times and tickets