The Crown Witness is a Stand-Up Comedian?

Jeff Gobeil Productions—West End Cultural Centre – ACU Hall

Jeff Gobeil delivers an outstanding memoir of a traumatic event: his journey to a courtroom as a Crown witness in a child sexual assault trial. It’s heavy material with exceptional pacing; Gobiel keeps it moving by lightly embodying a cast of characters he encounters on his way to testify, giving welcome texture and levels to an intensely personal story. He pauses when he needs to, breaks the tension with breathing exercises when things get rough, and lifts his audience up with a well-placed punchline. By the time he ties everything together with a little rap, it feels like a natural extension of a story told with remarkable confidence and care.

It is rare to be invited into such a candid first-person account of something that feels so ripped from the headlines. Gobeil offers remarkable insight into a deeply private experience, told with authenticity and artistry.

Ashley Frantik