Queer gods, a rugby player, a deceptive widow and some very average blokes.
The Bacchae by Riverland Youth Theatre
From my first look at the program, I was so keen to get to this show. It seemed like this company was making theatre with young people that really honoured who they are and what they care about. And how awesome that they were reimaging a 2000 year old text for queer and neurodivergent teens today! (Also, Holden Street Theatres are the best!)
Like: I actually got very emotional in the retelling of this work by young people. I haven’t read the original, but knowing that is so ancient, and that people of marginalised genders are STILL so maligned, so misunderstood, so denied celebration and joy, was very upsetting. In the story, the Bacchae just want to dance, to nap, to commune with each other, but are seen as dangerous and evil, and the result is that they are filled with a “scream” - a rage that ultimately lead to terrible pain and violence.
I loved the young people’s energy in this work, - they were cute, they were candid, they were spunky, they brought their language and movement and SELVES to the piece.
Learning: I think I shy away from the idea of doing classics with young people, thinking it was naff or unimaginative. But seeing how much these young people connected with and built upon this classic text, I have totally changed my mind.
Grav by Owen Thomas
Like: On paper, a one-man biographical play about a rugby player is definitely not something that interests me. But from the start, the playwright made this story deeply personal - a tale of a boy and his dad. It was such an exceptional performance in such an intimate space, and even though I didn’t have the faintest clue about rugby, I was so invested in the successes and losses of this gentle giant.
Learning: This is how you write a one-actor play! I really want to learn how to do this (because, you know, tourable) and this was a bit of a masterclass. The structure jumped around in time, but kept us anchored with the core story of a boy trying to impress his dad, and the eeked out information about the night his dad didn’t come home.
The foyer in one of the Holden Street Theatres.
I Hide In Bathrooms by Astrid Pill
What a delight to finally get to go to Vitalstatistix! The theatre was every bit as magical and historic as I had imagined. When we came in, there was tea and coffee and iced-vovos, and the pale bouquets of a wake. It was a lovely way to begin the experience before the show-proper.
Like: I loved how this work was a true exploration of a topic - the death of a partner (or loved one more generally). Astrid tried on three perspectives throughout the work, always surprising us with her “deception” so you never quite knew how to feel as an audience member. It was funny and silly and self-referential, and I don’t think I have ever liked projection in a work as much as I did in this - the projection served as a subtitle and sometimes-commentator on the action, often undercutting the character’s grief (“she always does this” “she’ll stop soon” “she’s completely lost it”).
Learning: You can really get to the heart of an issues, even without a clear narrative or characters. The great structure of this work allowed us to put ourselves in the shoes of three different perspectives on love and death, and left us reeling with the truth that “everyone is left, and everyone leaves”. As someone who writes much more traditional texts, I really enjoyed seeing how a script can be so charming and moving while quite segmented and experimental in form.
Cockroach by the Barry, Brian & Bean Company
A very excellent and silly way to finish Fringe - some truly deranged drag king action from the UK.
Like: Excellent character work and truly bonkers skits. And just so awesome to see young women absolutely smashing it in comedy.
Learning: Be silly. Make fun of men.
