Forgetting Tim Minchin

Jules Orcullo’s musical play Forgetting Tim Minchin is a moving, hilarious, and heartbreaking story of failure and hope. Catchy, creative songs combined with fun movement and punchy dialogue make Forgetting Tim Minchin an absolute delight to watch—just be sure to bring some tissues along.

The show has a two-person cast consisting of Jules Orcullo as a fictionalized version of herself, and Nova Raboy as her mother. Jules (the character) is a woman in her 30s who has moved back home to focus on her dreams of becoming a professional loving playwright. She feels emotionally worn out from the reality of trying to make art a career, and feels as though she isn’t good enough for her mother. Her mother is supportive of everything Jules does as long as she is happy. Jules wants her life to change and it does after a TikTok of her singing a song to British-Australian composer, musician, and comedian Tim Minchin goes viral. The character of Tim Minchin gives Jules a chance to co-write a musical with him, and the majority of the show is about Jules’ emotional turmoil about the show’s process.

Orcullo’s performance as Jules is endearing, relatable, and poignant. Her delivery of lines and accompanying expressions were hysterical. She effectively portrayed a quirky, insecure woman with a lot of heart. When the moment called for it, Jules built emotional tension and conveyed events with emotionally devastating results. Ocrullo’s voice during the musical sections is an absolute delight to listen to, with good tone while maintaining specific character choices, such as awkwardness. Her passion was palpable throughout the entire show.

Raboy plays a complex, loving mother who shows her love through the act of doing laundry for her daughter. She’s the perfect mix of a protective and seemingly overbearing mother while maintaining a feeling of closeness with Jules. Her movement throughout dream-like breakaway sequences is delicate and intentional, which foreshadow and set the tear-jerking tone of the show. Her character shows the passage of time and memories as she continues to hang clothes from different stages of life.

By the end of the show, the stage is adorned in clothing. Baby clothes, long scarves, and socks hang from the ceiling. Impeccable set design by Hailey Hunt makes Jules’ room look authentic and lived in while continuing the trend of Raboy hanging up more clothing. The light and sound, designed by Kate Baldwin and Christine Pan, respectively, make the songs stand out and complement the topic of each piece.

Livia Greenberg