Whelmed explores how Gillian Cosgriff “keeps it going” in her anxious modern life through a mix of songs and anecdotes about her offbeat interests and childhood hijinks. This show is observational, without the humour. The comedy/cabaret performance doesn’t hit either note, but is relatable in its populist and uninspired subject matter. At the beginning Cosgriff explains that it is impossible to be “underwhelmed” yet unfortunately this performance proves otherwise.

Gillian Cosgriff has the confidence of a seasoned performer but the content doesn’t deliver. Each song is prefaced by a lengthy explanation that exhausts any potential humour in the music. The performance is insincere: Cosgriff’s personal stories are not funny and the only punch lines come from recounting other’s wit. The songs are meandering and the humour is derivative. Cosgriff simply does not understand the comedic art. Her skill as a musician is not enough to carry this show, but it is clear that she would excel as a performer if not a writer and composer.

The problem with this show is that it lacks insight. Cosgriff casts herself as exceptional but gives painfully banal examples. The audience indulges Cosgriff’s self-congratulatory display but there is no pay off, only ego. In fact the audience is nearly forgotten in the claustrophobic venue. She emotes into the aisle with nothing visual to engage the crowd. The impression is that everyday life is more entertaining than the show.

This show feels like a pleasant conversation with a co-worker: polite, incidentally witty, but not aimed to entertain. Ultimately, the hollow content and under-developed theme made this a disappointing performance. Whelmed is predictable and repetitive but Gillian Cosgriff is energetic enough to charm.