Intolerant is Uma Dobia’s bold one-woman show that explores the touchy and sometimes comical world of food allergies and intolerances.
Uma brings a truly impressive vocal talent to her autobiographical performance. Her charm and wit shine through as she takes the audience on a personal journey through her struggles with food, her diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, and the challenges of navigating dating with allergies.
Despite Uma’s confidence and musical prowess, the writing of the show leaves something to be desired. The narrative feels a bit disjointed at times and there are moments when the show’s execution feels awkward, with transitions that are not as smooth as they could be, and some segments that drag on longer than necessary. While the concept of combining humor, personal storytelling, and musical performance is promising, the overall coherence of the show could benefit from tighter scripting and more focused direction.
At times, it feels like there is no clear audience or goal in mind. It starts as an EpiPen tutorial suited to an elementary school assembly but doesn’t fully evolve into the polished cabaret act it aspires to be.
That said, Intolerant still offers an insightful experience and would particularly resonate with anyone who has dealt with Crohn’s or food-related issues or has had to explain their dietary restrictions for the umpteenth time. With a bit more refinement, Intolerant has the potential to be a standout performance that fully matches Uma’s talents.
JADAR 