Ever felt simultaneously furious at the state of the world and exhausted by the relentlessness of your own fury? Me too. But there’s good news, because tired but tenacious Millicent Sarre has written a show just for us.

Millicent Sarre is Too Tired to Smash (Patriarchy) is an hour of original musical comedy about the very specific burnout that comes with being a feminist in your thirties. It’s about how every small joy gets quietly ruined by late-stage capitalism, the algorithm, and a brain that won’t stop telling you you’re not doing enough. It might sound heavy, but Sarre’s storytelling keeps it light, tender, and hilariously relatable.

Sarre has the voice of an angel, and is the kind of performer who feels like she’s talking directly to you, like she’s been living inside your anxiety spiral and has managed to articulate it in a way that helps you understand yourself a little better. Some other highlights were her first foray into country music for a song about the mental load (yeehaw), a love story (that came at the low, low price of $14.99), and a soulful number about how the weight of all the global atrocities constantly fired into our eyeballs leaves us feeling numb.

What you might not expect from a show with such heavy themes is how forgiving it is. It’s not asking you to do more or be better. It’s acknowledging that caring about things is exhausting and complicated and still worth it. I left feeling hopeful, like Sarre had poured a nice hot cup of tea for the whole audience, given us a hug, and told us to keep caring, keep being sensitive, and keep doing our best.

If you’re a feminist who’s ever felt like you’re doing too much and not enough at the same time, this is a perfect way to recharge your emotional energy.

Millicent Sarre is Too Tired to Smash (Patriarchy) runs at Gluttony from 20 February to 15 March. Tickets at the Adelaide Fringe website here.

5 stars.

By Amy Sincock