Perplex - Silo Theatre Company

Perplex - Theatre Review
Marius von Mayenburg
Silo Theatre
Herald Theatre 10th November - 3rd December 2016
Silotheatre.co.nz

Following a successful season in September of the thought provoking show ‘Boys Will Be Boys’, Silo Theatre have done it again. Opening this week, Perplex has all it takes to confuse, challenge, and engage an audience. It is a domestic comedy with a few dark undercurrents, the combination of which effectively manages to transport the audience far beyond it’s simple, sparse setting of a 1950’s/1960s modernist style living room.

You would never guess this play was originally written in German, as Maja Zade has done an impressive job of translating it into English. The script is sophisticated, smart and sometimes uncomfortably edgy. This has been brought to life by the dynamic direction of Sophie Roberts. There were many laugh out loud moments. A number of times I couldn't help but notice that my friends and I were laughing disruptively loud, but we weren’t the only ones.

With a cast of four; Kura Forrester, Natalie Medlock, Nic Sampson, and Sam Snedden, all actors managed to express a surprising number of characters and scenarios. There were character swaps left right and centre, and the cast did a brilliant job of seamlessly switching. For the majority of these characters, interestingly the actors kept their own names.

Each of the actors performed a number of engaging monologues. My stand out would have to be Natalie Medlock dying a painstakingly slow death, whilst Kura and Sam’s characters sat behind justifying why it was okay for them not to help. I was pleasantly surprised to find there are meaningful messages beneath the hilarious exterior of chaos.

You will be well and truly kept perplexed for the entire 1 hour and 40 minutes. This is the kind of impactful show that will get you thinking and will leave you discussing it not only the next day but for days after that.

Note - some trigger warnings, nudity and sex scenes.

Finding Neverland

After a big Saturday at the baseball followed by a night out in Brooklyn Sunday was not treating me well. Determined to make the most of my limited time in NYC, after a few episodes of Broad City (just to get me in the New York mood) I headed to Time Square. 

Not only is this a great spot to be engulfed in advertising but also the heart of Broadway. What better way to combat a hangover than some culture with a Broadway show. 

Time Square = tooo many people

A few months ago, as a follower of @MatthewMorrison on Twitter, I noticed him posting about his latest Broadway show. Excitedly I checked if Finding Neverland would be on when I was in New York. Anyone even a little familiar with Broadway would know that the seasons are incredibly long and I'd actually have been very unlucky if it had spotted before I arrived. 

Matthew Morrison is perhaps my favourite character on Glee. Glee is my one of my not so secret guilty pleasures. I do like to save up episodes and binge when I'm home sick. Nothing makes me feel more cheery than pop song mash ups joint with perfectly choreographed dance moves and outfits to maximise cheesiness.  

Mission in mind I made it to Broadway with a half hour before the matinee show to find where I was going and get a ticket. 

The discount ticket sellers said it was too close for the show to sell me a ticket. So I went to the box office. Although she got in trouble with the ticket booth attendee a lady told me she had a spare ticket. This women, who's name I can't recall - but let's call her Grandma, had bought all her 9 grandchildren and their three mothers from a few hours north on the train for a day in NYC. One of her grandsons had a soccer game so I became their cousin. 

 

In true American style they were very impressed I was all the way from New Zealand, and by myself! 

Grandma had bought the tickets four months earlier so they were great seats and I have her my remaining cash but it was just a fraction of the ticket price. 

Sweet view. 

At half time Grandma had to be held back from causing a scene asking a women in front of the kids to remove her hat. "It's blocking the kids view, and why is she wearing a hat inside? AND it's a darn ugly hat anyway!"

A kind girl took a photo for me with my very broken iPhone. I look like I have no hand.

Oh and also the play was great. The kids were excellent actors with beautiful voices. Such a heart warming story of course with a few tears. But a lovely afternoon.