As I bustled down La Trobe Street on a windy Tuesday night, I was unsure of what would greet me at Laura Davis’s show Look Out, It’s a Trap!
The name alone seemed to present something ominous, and
when paired with a formerly derelict building, the whole thing was like the opening sequence of a predictable crime show.
Thankfully, Davis’s unorthodox charm removed those fears immediately – she greeted us, already on stage, grinning brightly and jangling along to an infectious indie-pop tune.
Armed with artificial saliva and charts that depict the show’s progress, Davis looks to warn against the pitfalls we humans inevitably descend into.
Whether they be “toxic” relationships; loneliness; near death experiences; or encounters with oddly perceptive moths, Davis has an anecdote for it all.
Although it may seem dominated by gloomy subject matter, Look Out, It’s a Trap! is a hilarious show.
Davis is warm, quirky and relatable throughout.
If you’ve ever been in the grips of a 30-cent cone addiction, or feared you may end up a crazy cat lady (possibly while allergic to cats) then this is the show for you.
By the end, Look Out, It’s a Trap! leaves you smiling, warmed inside and out by the whole experience rather than focused on the individual jokes that didn’t quite land.
So as I steered my so-called bodily ‘meat prison’ home, through the crowded city streets, I was buoyed by Davis’s closing belief – as humans, we are never truly alone.
Ash McMillan
