I THINK I'M DEAD Tuxedo Cat Until 25 Feb 2018 Review by Doug Phillips At first impression, you’d be forgiven for thinking Al Lafrance should be on medication. Or maybe he is already. Either way, this guy goes a million miles an hour. This guy can talk. I mean really talk. But the subject matter is interesting, his personality is engaging, and his delivery is warm (even if it took a little while to get on his level). This performance is quick-fire, well-timed, and touching. With more than forty performances of this show under his belt, he’s literally got this down to a fine art. Once you get over the initial few minutes onslaught where you find yourself thinking…“Dude, take a breath”, Al’s story of his search for happiness, told with openness and honesty, will make you feel for this guy and his experiences. A charming story full of humour, raw relatability, and disarming vulnerability, leaves you with a feeling of empathy and satisfaction. You may need a hug at the end, which is OK, because Al is only too willing to oblige. This is what the Fringe is all about. Al doesn’t spill his guts to make money. He’s not opening up to induce sympathy or attention. Al has simply got a story to tell, with a message he truly wants to share, and his message is beautiful, and his story is fantastic. Brace yourself though. You’re headed down a rabbit-hole that includes anxiety and trampolines, mistakes and Billy Joel, Red Bull and suicide, Brad Pitt and Benadryl, insomnia and alternate universes, nightmares – and a little more Billy Joel. If you want a show that opens your eyes a little and makes you feel glad you saw it, even if it’s not the kind of thing you’d normally go and see, then you can’t go wrong with “I Think I’m Dead”. Anyone would be hard put to walk out of this show without feeling like they’re a better person for witnessing it. Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5)