Kooky, enigmatic and with plenty of energy, Katz is hardly short of a story. Early on she'll tell us that the mark between life and writing long ago became increasingly indistinguishable and with this knowledge tales of cowboys, healers, fortune tellers and bad sushi seem hardly surprising and jaw-droppingly real. The problem, then, lies in the presentation. By her own admission, Katz is a writer, not a performer, and a few missed beats, or moments of feigned emotion (as opposed to the almost tangible heart-on-sleeve stuff that otherwise drips from her) highlight how much this simple storytelling has been worked into submission.
Truth is certainly wilder than fiction, but perhaps the latter would have better served these incredible stories, so that they could be fully realised in a theatrical sense.
The production seems to accidentally fall into metatheatrical territory without the kind of committed reckless pursuit that dictates everything else in Katz's life. Stories I Want To Tell You In Person offers an intriguing and revealing look at the practice and clashes of private-and-plays of one writer, but ultimately it's hard not to question how and why this became a show in itself. A cheeky look behind the scenes at the cogs of Belvoir does little to answer these questions.
Belvoir Downstairs Theatre to Sunday 26 May
