The Pun

Tanya Losannos in Risotto Sans Frontieres

By Paul D Agostino ⋅ May 5, 2006 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Risotto Sans Frontieres or ‘Risotto Without Borders’ is an interesting show. Tanya Losanno has managed to piece together a series of anecdotes drawn from life experience with a selection of serious content relating to the duality of celebrities endorsing noble causes.

That being said, I don’t think I’m her target audience even though Tanya and I share similar upbringings (growing up in Australia with strong ties to an Italian heritage) because the stories were all too familiar to somebody like me and failed to hit the mark. Tanya does, however, manage to connect with her audience quite well using iconic childhood memories such as the canned food drives we all endured at Primary School.

Her use of Italian-Australian stereotypes is a bit tired, but her own personal slant and how she manages to tie it all in with risotto is a nice touch. There is an air of sincerity about her show that is refreshing to see at a Festival loaded with acts that are too sure of themselves; Tanya exudes a self-awareness that is appropriate for the material she presents to her audience. Though, at times, her delivery starts off casual and low-key and then shifts to a drawn-out emphatic statement for her key phrases or words in a somewhat-similar style to Judith Lucy.

I recommend seeing Tanya Losanno as a local talent who if given the right amount of attention and direction, could develop into a popular grassroots comedian, there’s a heap of potential here - plus you’ll get a cool sticker.