Most Of My Moms Are Gay theatre review: Personal musical falls flat
Abby Goldfarb is a confident, powerful singer, but her autobiographical musical is more of a chronological life summary than a cohesive narrative
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Pulling off a one-woman musical in a cramped 21-seater basement theatre is no easy feat. Unfortunately for New York native Abby Goldfarb, she doesn’t quite manage it. Most Of My Moms Are Gay is Goldfarb’s self-written musical biopic, detailing her entire life from conception to the 2026 Fringe. The first thing worth noting is that Goldfarb has an excellent voice and her 13 original-ish songs are solid musical numbers. But her acting style is so overly trained that you lose the humour and humanity in her anecdotes.
Being raised by five mothers in New York’s queer artistic community is a fun story but it isn’t enough to stretch into a complete show. Nor are the stories and songs about being considered more attractive in Europe than the US or taking a bike to school. A cohesive hour needs to be more than just a chronological rundown of your life thus far. And the big denouement of not being cast in a Broadway show is presented as a uniquely personal experience rather than an almost universal one for performers. Goldfarb has great energy and, quite possibly, a great show in her. Sadly, this isn’t it.
Most Of My Moms Are Gay, Greenside George Street, until 29 August, 6.25pm: picture: Robin Mair.