There is no doubt that Sooz Kempner is a natural performer, she can sing, quip and put together a great powerpoint presentation. Her shows always have a bit of a party atmosphere to them – not just because of the songs but because Sooz is incredibly likeable and I hope to spot her on a TV comedy panel soon, with her quick wit it would be perfect casting.
Sooz on Film is Sooz’s latest show in which she delves into her relationship with film, from being a child with a very limited VHS collection (which I identify with, we too had a small, recorded-off-the-tv collection of videos. I didn’t see the beginning of Return to Oz until I was 30.) that contained no Disney, to discovering Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese as a 16 year old. With a very early introduction to Aliens and Jaws in between.
It was De Niro and Scorsese who inspired Sooz’s ambition to win an Oscar, a pursuit she went out at 16 in a very pragmatic and ambitious manner; writing a screenplay with a lead character only she could play. Sooz shares little snippets of her script, which probably contains my favourite line in the whole show regarding a little known geography fact. In between Sooz – who wants to do this show by herself – receives the odd Skype check in from friends and family.
Sooz wants to do the show by herself, with no characters, because she wants some honesty in this show. And honesty is what she achieves by the end. This is an impressive show that has a little touch of chaos (it is still a work in progress) and a brave end. Sooz’s mum is quite right to be proud of her.
Sooz on Film is at Nowhere Man on 20th May – for tickets and more information click here!
