Pearle Harbour Distant Early Warning Review
REVIEW: Distant Early Warning at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
By Dr Stephen Low
After two years of lockdowns and social distancing, a 100-minute performance that tells the story of a woman losing her mind as she waits for the man she loves while isolated in a bunker at the end of the world might be the last theatrical experience I thought I would want to endure. Been there. Done that. Hated it. (Minus waiting for my boyfriend. I don’t wait on any man.)
But in the hands of Pearle Harbour, this story is an entertaining evening at the theatre.
The fact that Distant Early Warning makes such a dreary set of circumstances a fun experience is wholly due to the campy, clownish, cabaret-style performance of writer-performer Justin Miller as his drag alter-ego Pearle Harbour. Distant Early Warning, which involves cabaret song stylings, silly-but-gruesome physical humor, and moments of theatrical magic, is a lot of fun. In her one-woman show, Ms. Harbour proves that the best way to endure life’s challenges is with humour.
