This might be true of the story line, but not of the production of boy girl wall. There are a million magical moment in this production, so much so that it takes on a life of its own and grows and breeds many more lives upon the stage, until an overwhelming force of funny has populated a new universe.
The Escapists’ previous work, Attack of the Attacking Attackers, gives you some idea of the irreverence they revel in and, being that I think I was the only person in Brisbane (and a few in Adelaide as well) not to see Boy Girl Wall in its first season at MetroArts (or the Adelaide Fringe) I was a little bouncy in anticipation.
boy girl wall tells the story of Thom and Alithea and the wall between their apartments which decides they really should get together. Along the way there are treatises on time and space, blood-thirsty magpies, cracks in the universe, 24 hour Theatresports, gothic children’s story readers, depressed lap-tops, cheese and pickled onion sandwiches, sock puppets, and power boxes considering the expansion of the universe – all lovingly scored to glockenspiel.
Just a little slice of life, really.
If Nick Earles cut out the whimsical crap and concentrated on making you laugh at every moment (and appreciating your own unique and embarrassingly easy giggle triggers), his stories could downshift to the manic revolutions of this production.
It only ran for an hour and a quarter, but every second was so full of funny, profound characters, brilliantly executed with such energy and attention to detail by Lucas Stibbard, that he must be absolutely exhausted after the non-stop action in the telling of his tale.
It is a one person show at its best – like stand up told by a consummate story-teller who can actually act, incorporating a clever use of the ridiculously simply set, swapping the perspective, playing with multiple roles, and wrapping it all around a subtle, yet underlying love of the mysteries of the universe manifest in the simplest of moments between two people.
Stibbard was simply amazing. Every tiny action was precisely carved out even though the show was performed at break-neck speed. He played the audience like a very fast thing going very fast, not giving us a second to dwell on the last giggly moment before plunging on to the next. It was relentless, and would have been overwhelming if not for his skill in playing a moment.
Jonathon Oxlade’s redesign was beautifully simple, particularly considering that a story about walls took place in a theatre without them. The myriad uses of blackboard and chalk were incredible, hilarious, and perfectly suited to what was essentially a lecture that could have been entitled ‘This is life.’
You must see this show, otherwise you will have to put up with people talking about it to you forever and be the odd one out in the conversation. The Escapists have created a production that will live in audiences’ memories for many years, make them smile, and never look at their socks in the same way.
boy girl wall
The Escapists and LaBoite Theatre Company
Roundhouse Theatre Kelvin Grove
March 30 – April 17
Script: Matthew Ryan & Lucas Stibbard
Realisers: Matthew Ryan, Lucas Stibbard, Neridah Waters & Sarah Winter
Music: Neridah Waters
Lighting Designer: Keith Clark
Redesign: Jonathon Oxlade with Lucas Stibbard
For more details see the production’s Arts Hub event listing.
WHAT THE OTHER CRITICS SAID
Green Room: “Stibbard’s is a wonderfully original and intelligent voice, and he leaps and whirls in a non stop, dazzling performance in the best Aussie tradition of yarn spinning.”
Curtain Call: “La Boite has another winner, after a string of successes. Its shorter running time will leave you aching for more.”
