Twists And Turns is an apt title for several reasons. It is a cabaret performance, so right from the start one would expect a level of energy and unexpectedness. More intriguingly, it is the autobiographical brainchild of Matthew Mitcham, Olympic diving gold medallist and ukulele aficionado – the kind of juxtaposition that sounds far too peculiar to be true. While it is unlikely we will see him demonstrate his diving prowess onstage, his ukulele (one of many) is guaranteed to surface.
“My ukulele is a lot like a security blanket,” says Mitcham. “At least one of them goes everywhere with me. I’ve usually got two in the car, and every time I get on a plane I have one with me. Sometimes I’ll break it out at a diving competition or something. Or while we’re just waiting around airports for hours on end, it’ll come out to while away the time.”
The level of passion in Mitcham’s voice is both surprising and endearing. Given this affection, my idea that when he dies he could be buried surrounded by ukuleles in a giant ukulele-shaped coffin is warmly embraced. “That would be great, but I actually want to become a tree,” he says. “They can bury you now in this biodegradable paper with a tree seed, and you can then go on to provide a tree for the next generation. It’s a very hippy thing, I guess, but I really like it.”
It is indeed a commendable idea, and has the added benefit that once he reaches maturity as a tree, he can then find himself actually turned –
“– into a ukulele! I love it! The circle of life!”
The production itself is a curious blend of memory, humour, depression and song, and has already received a rapturous reception on its earlier incarnation. While Mitcham’s creative side is steadily building its own reputation, it is his struggles and success in the pool that the public finds most familiar. Having not only won gold in 2008, but also achieved the highest single-dive score in Olympic history, the focus and pressure placed on Mitcham was tremendous.
“It’s actually a really common phenomenon, this kind of Olympic comedown. They are likely the greatest thing an athlete will ever experience. You’re in this utopian city with all of these beautiful people around, you’re celebrated for this win, and then you’ll never get to taste that again for four years, and even then, only if you’re lucky. It’s quite jarring. Added to that were my own dormant issues of depression and anxiety. I’d suffered depression as a teenager, but I’d never addressed it. It disappeared for a time but then it came back with a vengeance, which I think is a fairly common experience. For athletes it’s more so when they’re retiring, and their whole identity is taken away from them.”
While there are certainly dark aspects to his story, there remains a great degree of hopefulness and humour. By the end, Mitcham hopes, the audience will connect with him as they might an old, familiar friend.
“I don’t keep ridiculously strict script, I just try to tell my story loosely, and if one gag gets left out here and there it’s no big deal. It’s still getting the essence of the show across. Because of the candour, it’s quite rare to hear people speak about addiction and depression as candidly as I have in the show, so I think people don’t just get a small idea of who I am – I think they get an intimate idea of who I am.”
Matthew Mitcham’s Twists And Turnsis onThursday February 26 – Saturday February 28 atSeymour Centre.
