Cassie Workman's new show, You Are Here, has been nominated for best show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The show centres on an extended metaphor about modern capitalism, told through a young Hispanic boy's battle with a sentient shopping mall in Newark, New Jersey.
Workman, who spent the past two years in the US, blends stand-up, storytelling, graphics and original songs in a surreal yet accessible performance. The fictional West Valley Mall, abandoned since the 1980s, becomes a labyrinthine trap for a nine-year-old boy who only wants to return home.
The show's style is described as poetic, with clever word choices and similes, but never needlessly intellectual. A niche joke is even explained with a Wikipedia screenshot to keep everyone engaged. Workman's handmade props, including a cereal box microphone and hand-drawn illustrations, add to the unique atmosphere.
Critics have praised You Are Here for capturing the feeling of living in a crumbling world, blending absurdity and existentialism with dark humour. The show runs at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival until 19 April, before touring to Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.
