Everyone’s A Winner recounts Alice Fraser’s time as a successful corporate lawyer who realised that it’s not worth succeeding at something you hate. The story is told in chapters through transcripts, dramatised scenes, and personal stories. The themes of social expectation and mainstream success make this a very relatable performance even without an understanding of the legal profession. However, despite her capability as a narrator the show is hypocritical and poorly organised.
Fraser is a talented storyteller but that gets lost in the messy execution of her ideas. The character of David, Fraser’s former boss, is distinct and intriguing in transcripts from her time at “the firm” but the material is under-developed. There isn’t any humour in the overwrought scenes of Fraser’s miserable law career. The angsty and personal dimensions dampen the entertainment value rather than reinforcing the story. The more deliberate jokes were surprising and occasionally insightful, with a refreshing use of “sunk cost fallacy” as a punch line.
The strongest parts of the performance were the narrative and the traditional stand up. The more theatrical elements and pre-recorded voice-over seemed out of place. The audience couldn’t find a frame of reference for what to expect. As a venue Pigtails is just a crude tent at the back of Gluttony and the discomfort and noise was a distraction. The conversational tone also invited a lot of input and heckling from the audience that seemed to encourage Fraser but sidelined the rest of the crowd. Despite calling out privilege early in the show there were some uncomfortable racial impressions, stereotypes, and cringeworthy stories that showed a lack of self-awareness. Fraser admits to being racist but that doesn’t excuse the content.
Alice Fraser has a lot of potential as a writer but Everyone’s A Winner doesn’t have much to offer. The disjointed format doesn’t do justice to Fraser’s ill-fated law career and the moralising conclusion feels insincere considering some of the problematic jokes. Despite her raw and self-assured stage presence this performance was ultimately underwhelming.
