If you could have any famous person play you in a film, who would you choose? For most it would be the Blake Lively type, or Megan Fox. Oh no. Not for young actress Alexandra Keddie. The love affair – more like obsession – Keddie has with Ms Streep is so endearing. It actually says a lot about her moral compass and the values she believes in. When you aim as high as Meryl Streep, “the best actress of our generation”, you can never imagine what it’d be like walking in her shoes, but Keddie’s insider knowledge to her countless achievements, relationships to other actors and directors on set, and her vocal differences give you a glimpse as to who the real Meryl Streep is.
Keddie assumes the role of a 17-year-old die-hard Meryl Streep fan as she aspires to one day be like her idol. It is an idolisation based on respect, which adds heart to the overall piece. While the structure of the self-devised cabaret is a little disjointed, you cannot fault the attention to detail when it comes to embodying all that is Meryl. Keddie absolutely floors the audience with her uncanny ability to channel some of Streep’s most famous vocal performances including Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada, Julia Child from Julie and Julia, and Violet Weston from August: Osage County. Keddie’s fragility in her portrayal of each of these characters show us just how talented this young actress is.
The piece is glittered with songs by ABBA, Sondheim and Ray Charles as these musical moments take us back to when Streep wowed us either on the screen or on the stage. Accompanied on keys by Daniele Buatti, AKA Sting, Keddie was able to throw herself into each song, including a musical medley of sorts. The cuts to some of Streep’s on screen glory was a really nice addition to the show, especially if some of us weren’t quite up to speed on every single movie Streep has made.
It’s nice to know in an age where we are saturated by wannabes and reality TV stars, that Keddie has found a woman to connect with and look up. Never mind the fact she’s totally met the real Meryl Streep in real life #BucketListDone, but she’s opened up our perception of a glorified woman, and she really does live up to everything she is portrayed as in the media. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Alexandra Keddie, but knowing that her cousin is Offspring star Asher Keddie, big things are no doubt on their way.
I See Me & Meryl Streep was performed as part of the Melbourne Cabaret Festival, currently on now.
The reviewer attended the show on Tuesday June 21.
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