I am Tasha Fierce begins with the most beautiful image: a woman lying in a bathtub, dripping with water and bathed in teal light. She quotes the words of her muse, Beyonce, with reverence as if it is a prayer.

From this striking start, creator and performer Rose Kirkup takes us on a journey through the life of Tasha, a young woman from Upper Hutt whose life is inspired by Beyonce. From losing and reconnecting with her best friend to performing at her office talent quest, we get to know Tasha and all the characters in her life including her mum Tina, her BFF Kase, Aunty Linda, Uncle Vinny, Doug from the office and of course Queen B (Beyonce).

This is the fifth incarnation of the show and the design and performance are solid. Tasha is a naive and generous character whose love of Beyonce sustains her when the real world is full of haters. We see her transform from sad desolation (fully clothed in a bubble bath) to a joyful rendition of Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’ dance, which for me is a highlight. The show is full of little gems like this which let us into Tasha’s world; from the heart-breaking moment when she sings ‘I’m Your Girl’ to comfort herself to her Tasha Fierce-esque Leotard, to her Beyonce book containing the tenants of her heroine; all are genius and hilarious.

There aren’t as many laughs as I am expecting for a comedy show and I think this is because Tasha’s sincerity so quickly wins the audience that we do not want to laugh at her expense. Although it is great for the character to be truthful she can still be funny and Kirkup needs to find different ways of playing the comedy so that the audience feels comfortable that they are laughing with Tasha rather than at her.

The narrative also feels too sad at times, with Tasha positioned as a victim of circumstance, which feels unfair in the face of her fierce optimism. I ache to see her encounter more surprises and successes during the sixty minute show.

Hailing from ‘The Valley’ like Tasha and Kirkup herself, my friend and I crack-up at the mention of all things Hutt throughout the show. When asked if the show was changed in its Auckland incarnation, we are told that the jokes still land even if the audience doesn’t know Upper Hutt Cossie Club as intimately as Tasha does. Despite this, part of the joy of I Am Tasha Fierce is the familiarity with her world and I am glad to hear that it will be performed in Upper Hutt’s Expressions Theatre later in the year. Hutt City and Porirua communities often get neglected by theatre shows which lose out on youthful, diverse and enthusiastic audiences.

Everybody Cool Lives Here, who produced I Am Tasha Fierce, aim to create work for diverse voices. This absolutely is a show which meets that aim. While Tasha fiercely claims the stage to live her dream of performing Beyonce covers, Kirkup fiercely claims the stage to portray a woman who values friendship and music above all else and whose story isn’t one of grandeur but one of ‘Independent Women’, ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘Survivors’. 

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