Review by Meredith Fuller OAM
MON 3 to Sat 8th Feb
The Butterfly Club midsumma festival
“An intense, provocative exploration of addiction, obsession, trauma, bisexuality and polyamory
A twisted love story of addiction, obsession and misery. ‘Some love is fire, some love is rust, but the purest, most dangerous form of love is lust’.
Five 30-somethings are involved in a twisted love story of drugs, addiction, betrayal, polyamory, bisexuality and abuse.
John, a 30-something down on his luck writer is miserable, trying to leave his lover Leena, a heroin addict and childhood sweetheart that he can’t leave, nor can he remain with her.
Leena, a tragic woman trapped in a never-ending cycle of abuse and addiction, her only lifeline of sanity is John. Leena is in a twisted, manipulative relationship with both John and Cilla.
Cilla, Leena’s jealous female lover and her main drug-dealer sees her hold and control of Leena gradually slipping away.
Taylah, a frustrated young woman married to Bill, a lawyer. Taylah works in the same office as Leena and both are instantly attracted to each other, but are a little reluctant to become lovers.
Bill, a lawyer, John’s male lover and his most trusted confidant, is married to Taylah and tries to convince John to leave Leena.”
This is a must-see play for anyone who is curious about the nature of destructive pairing; an entertaining play about the scourge of addiction – not only of drugs but also relationships. An insightful, clever play that goes beneath the surface of what ails our society and what fuels trauma. The audience is invited to think, and I hope that theatre goers will debate the issues over coffee afterwards.
The opening scenes are funny and recognisable as we view the morning-after mad scramble for clothes to get to work. The overdose scene was impeccably handled, and the last scene was a great surprise. Unsettling and memorable.
Parallel vignettes quickly situate the characters who are interconnected lost souls in pain, trying to get through each day and night. Keep up; it’s a rollercoaster with a floor game of ‘Twister’ that spotlights pertinent themes for the individual and society.
We go beneath the surface relationships with a deft psychological interpretation of the roots of trauma, toxic pairing, hurt fuelled anger, and persona annihilation.
Given the density of issues, a slight problem with staging at the Butterfly Club is the strict one hour timeframe. Ideally, a 1.5 hour production would enable adequate pacing for the audience who may need some beats to comprehend the elucidations when bombshells are dropped during the latter five-eights of the play.
Opening night can be a bit of a rush, but I am sure that the cast will relax into taking their time, especially when the concepts require a few beats for some audience members to integrate the ideas. There are a few delicious pieces of humour and we need some time to laugh please. While many of us may be aware of the intense psychological and sociological dynamics raised about human behaviour, others in the audience may not, and allowing some space will assist their assimilation. Much to be learned, and what a brilliant way to reveal knowledge.
Another option would be to edit a little out when there is only one hour, but I’m afraid that may interfere with the elegance of the work.
I would also love to see this also staged as theatre-in-education with plenty of time for a Q&A. The material is relevant for students, adolescents, and adults. The value for domestic violence education, relationship education, and personal growth is inestimable.
This was a tricky undertaking within one hour – well done for bringing important work with some humour, shock, and meaning. Usually, a first night may have a couple of little glitches and a bit of sound, blocking, and struggling for the curtain exit will be resolved by the following night.
It’s great to see young actors perform in a play that stretches them. The two leads, Olivia Buckton Smith and Savier D’Arsie-Marquez embodied their roles beautifully. They showed verisimilitude and a broad range.
Both gave us access to their inner and outer turmoil, and we had empathy with their pain. A scene from school discussing music was choreographed with delight, and I would encourage ‘John’ to surrender to some of his softness, or moving up and down the scale, when presenting his final interpretation of ‘Leena’.
I highly recommend this play, and I hope to see further staging with additional ebb and flow running time in order for the audience to reap the richness of awareness and understanding that they can take into their own lives and those of their friends.
