In Years Years Bears there’s been a murder! And two girl boss podcasters-cum-detectives are going to share all the gritty details while trampling over the life and death of the murder victim, Hannah, who was found stabbed by members of her odd support group. Even though Hannah is dead, she doesn’t take this lying down. What follows is a back and forth between the podcasters’ desire to create a thrilling story and Hannah’s need for the truth to be heard.
It’s a fun concept with an engaging hook: why did the support group kill Hannah? But more work is required.
The message of the play bookends the narrative and is rammed down the audience’s throat – true crime storytelling often lacks ethics or empathy and prioritises virality and money over truth and respect for the victims. The climax isn’t satisfying as it’s stuck between a classic denouement and a refusal to let Hannah share the truth of what happened. Engaging characters, funny dialogue and well-paced progression of the mystery, however, keep things entertaining.
Cassandra-Elli Yiannacou is a much better writer than she is a director. While she throws in some fun directorial ideas that reflect her writing style, depicting dramatisations with film noir conventions and adding sound bites that extend jokes in the play, for example, the performances feel more at home in a student showcase or amateur production. This isn’t helped by how constrained the cast seem on the small stage and the large amount of time they spend squished up against each other in a row of four chairs.Â
Read: Theatre review: Why Not Believe in Everything?, Club Voltaire
Years Years Bears shows a lot of promise to become a tight, fresh and engaging hour of mystery theatre with social commentary added in, but it needs more development to get there.
Years Years Bears
Trades Hall
Written and Directed by: Cassandra-Elli Yiannacou
Produced by:Â Wildefang Productions
Cast: Nishanti Selvaraj, Bryan Cooper, Yvonne Martin, Emma Hoopell
Tickets: $30
Years Years Bears will be performed until 20 October as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival.
