Review: 'My Stories, Your Emails' - Malthouse Theatre

In 2006, Ursula Martinez’s cheeky comedic strip-tease ‘Hanky Panky’ was filmed and eventually made its way to the internet. What resulted was a series of fan emails that have lead to her hit new stand-up show My Stories, Your Emails.

At the beginning of My Stories, Your Emails Ursula Martinez chats to the crowd. She explains the show will take part is two segments situated on either side of the stage. She apologises for her terrible impressions of a Swedish accent. She warns any people under the age of 16 that graphic images of a 19cm penis will be displayed. She asks if anyone has “come for pervy reasons,” or just to see her “hot minge”. She promises it will be revealed by the end of the show …

And so you’re expectations are set. The opening sequence is basically made up of Martinez performing her set routine of stand-up jokes. Some are funny, some are not (mostly by intention) but either way her excellent sense of comedic timing and delivery completely subverts the actual content, producing unified laughter amongst the crowd.

The audience then has a chance to view the leaked ‘Hanky Panky’ video, a literally all-out segue into the second half of the performance which compromises of Martinez reading real emails sent to her in regard to the video. Both the emails and the accompanying photos are a comic’s delight. Embodying each of the fans, kinks and all, she is able to characterise each with an individual personality so much so that it is easy to forgot these are real people and not characters in a fictional story. Martinez is particularly skilled with accents. From the Baltimore based nudist who praises her work in promoting nudism and the Australian Nico who wants to explore his personal fantasies with her, to the European wannabe-comedian who is scared of people laughing at him – she is spot on.

The 60-minute show flies past until your cheeks are sore from smiling and your sides are starting to split. There is no doubt this show is confronting, but the uncomforting humour is unique to the performance and by the end you feel as if you have befriended the real Ursula Martinez.

… and remember: friends always keep their promises.

My Stories Your Emails will be running until April 3rd at the Malthouse Theatre as part of the Melboure International Comedy Festival. It is created and performed by Ursula Martinez and directed by Mark Whitelaw. 

Photo by Huge Glenndinning