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Human relationships have never run smoothly, and this modern online world of internet and mobile apps has its own speedhumps and potholes lying in the way of young love. Matthew and Jade are housemates and friends, each with very different approaches to relationships. Matthew has a long-distance relationship with his beloved Tess, maintained through cross-time zone Skype sessions, tweets and Facebook messages. While not ideal, he believes the difficulties are worth it, because true love is important. Jade, on the other hand, avoids any sort of commitment, embracing the transient intimacies of dodgy nightclubs and quick and convenient Tinder hook-ups. When Jade discovers that Tess is not being faithful to Matthew, she intervenes, and both housemates are persuaded to try online dating, with differing outcomes.
Hamartia Theatre’s debut production, It’s Complicated. has many enjoyable moments. The script has many promising points and features well-developed main characters. A subtle dig at social pressures to conform leading to two potentially well-matched couples totally missing each other through online dating profile construction is a particular gem. The narrator addressing the audience directly, clarifying the key concepts, is particularly well-suited to a Fringe production, although opportunities for developing audience interaction are missed. Signs that this work is still in its early stages of development include its ambiguous and abrupt ending, lack of secondary character development and excessively disruptive set rearrangement for a 40 minute play. Some unfortunate factors arise from the Black Flamingo tent venue – working with an audience in the round, dialogues feature the back of at least one head to some spectators which removes the subtleties of interactions, and the careful sound design is occasionally overpowered by blasts of music from neighbouring tents.
The two main characters are both well-written and well-played. Anthony Smith’s Matthew is particularly well-rounded, exploring the conflicts in his beliefs and realising that his girlfriend has been lying to him. As Jade, Emily Robb has less emotional range to play with, as her character takes refuge behind intense superficiality to mask any internal dramas, but does progress the role through a clear development arc. The most disappointing role is Jaxon George’s Daniel, a totally different voice in the production, where the character’s perspective on technology contrasts so much with “online dating is the new normal” of the other roles. This disappointment does not bear on George’s acting itself, although there could have been a bit more chemistry in his initial meeting with Jade, but on the lack of opportunity to see more of what he and the role could have offered. Mario Rouse as Andrew has a comedic creepiness that works well and Clare Thomson puts in solid supporting performances. Olivia Finlay’s Narrator is light and entertaining, but again, would have benefited from further presence and a willingness to pursue more topics – the open discussion of the seedy side of Tinder was great, but why was Grindr a no-go zone?
Despite the unevenness of the production, there are some very clever points in the script, presented by competent actors and the audience laughed in all the right places. Further development for It’s Complicated. would lead to a very enjoyable piece of entertainment, but as it is, it is an exciting introduction of Hamartia Theatre to the Perth theatre scene.
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5 stars
It’s Complicated
Presented by Hamartia Theatre, FringeWorld 2015
The Black Flamingo, The Pleasure Gardens, Northbridge
Directors and Producers: Olivia Finlay and Clare Thomson
Writers: Olivia Finlay and Rose Oldham
Stage Managers: Clare Thomson and Jaxon George
Performed by Olivia Finlay, Clare Thomson, Emily Robb, Anthony Smith, Mario Rouse and Jaxon George.
19 – 22 February 2015
