Paul Verhoeven’s Tell Me Lies is a charming and quirky adventure in storytelling.
Verhoeven warms up the audience by telling us some random facts about himself, including how far he will go to make people believe he is washing his hands. However the show really kicks into gear when Verhoven takes us back in time to his youth to tell us about how one lie can alter someone’s life completely – in this case, his brother. After taking the blame for his brother after he set a group of fridges on fire, Verhoeven reflects on how this ‘noble’ lie affected his brother, eventually leading to him being handcuffed to a table for nine hours at Canada Airport (and not for the reasons you may think).
However, this one lie wasn’t the only lie Verhoeven told in his life and he goes on to regale us with some hilarious tales of getting stuck in lies and and the struggle he goes through to get out of them. His tales of fake celebrity uncles and his attempts to escape an orgy (by attempting to cater it) are particular highlights, as is his declaration of love for Kim Basinger.
Verhoeven has a wonderful and friendly energy up on stage and his rapport with the audience is a treat. A natural storyteller, Verhoeven is an energetic and hilarious performer who has created a genuinely funny and enaging show.
BY MYF CLARK
