Dana Alexander: Is This Really Happening?

While promising a ‘light anthropological look at what makes us tick,’ this show really comprises a journey through Dana Alexander’s life. This is a common ploy and, like the montages of the 80s at the start, is fine enough as a hook. She’s likeable and engaging and the audience is behind her from the start. However, the show lacks any further substance beneath this, the montages becoming progressively more disjointed and less relevant. The life anecdotes themselves let the truth get in the way of a good story. Some are really only interesting if you have a personal interest in her life; some are just a bit tragic, with no twist or punchline. Others hint at a fascinating untold story but bypass that completely, leaving the feeling that you’ve only had half a tale.

As if to confirm this, the ending comes by surprise – she’s retained the audience’s interest, so nothing really dragged (though she could have been more confident with tonight’s somewhat quiet crowd) but we’re left waiting for the show to kick in, or satisfactorily conclude.  

This show needs to decide what it’s trying to be, and deliver that with a little more kick.