Shine My Light

Taku Mbudzi is a talented storyteller whose work successfully transposes across platforms; podcasts, filmmaking and stand-up comedy are among them. In this show Mbudzi takes a very personal approach and considers her achievements as an African woman trying to make her way in the world.

She has many intriguing and engaging anecdotes related to her African heritage and settling in Australia. Many of the stories have universal appeal; the pressure to get married, dealing with expectations of family members and getting ahead in the working world as a woman of colour.

Mbudzi has a penchant for bling and looks absolutely stunning in her shiny, shimmering costume. Her show covers many of her very personal trials and the good-humoured manner in which she has overcome numerous personal and professional obstacles. Her show is oriented towards celebrating women and encouraging them to feel empowered. This is conveyed in a very amusing and emphatic way and her accounts of events in her life are quite compelling. 

However, this made this comedy routine less about observing society in general and more focused on her very specific circumstances. Without the astute social commentary or a particular thread that binds the material together the performance seems to stray from the genre.

Nonetheless, Mbudzi gives her audience good reason to sit back and enjoy the stylish and entertaining manner in which she tells her tales. Sharing her stories of determination to succeed in life is a great way to celebrate the week in which International Women’s Day occurs.

Patricia Di Risio 

Photographer: Darren Gill