The No Bang Theory | Oliver Hetherington-Page
Oliver Hetherington-Page’s #actuallyaustic cabaret is a heart-warming and humorous look into the life of a musical-theatre nerd, stylish jacket wearing aficionado, and neuro-diverse performer.
Over the course of the show, Oliver dazzled and delighted us with his expressive storytelling that involved singing, dancing and sharing his experiences as someone who grew up with autism and how pop culture has created a narrow-minded representation of people like him.
Debuting at the Undercover Artist Festival and created and performed by Oliver Hetherington-Page, The No Bang Theory is a musical journey from dating disasters to diagnosis through the lens of someone who is actually autistic, unlike Sheldon Cooper and all the ones who came before him. Featuring a plethora of musical performances which satire iconic songs from the musical theatre canon including Oh What a Beautiful Mornin from Oklahoma to Tomorrow by Annie as well as numerous references to musicals (I lost count at ten), Oliver utilises song to express his vulnerabilities and how he overcomes them which I thought was a touch of genius
Not only that, but Oliver also has a terrific voice and maybe in the sequel, we will find out whether its thanks to his classes at Fame theatre. A crowd favourite was the blow-up doll sex dance which was equal parts arousing as hilarious.
What impressed me most about this production was the raw honesty in it. It was storytelling from the heart from a young man who has unfortunately often been neglected and misunderstood by society, his peers, his family and even the arts industry. It’s not everyday that someone is so candid and honest on stage. It’s not everyday that someone digs so deep and lets you sit there with them and listen. But Oliver did and I think that that’s one of the bravest things a human, let alone an artist, could do.
He’s not Sheldon Cooper. He’s not the stereotype. He’s Oliver Hetherington-Page and speaking as a theatre critic, a member of the general public and one of Oliver’s friends, as far as I’m concerned, that’s more than enough.
