Imagine you are the last surviving member of an entire civilisation that has been kept hidden from the outside world for over thirty years.
You have come to earth and through default it is your job to inform the earthlings of your society.
What specific beliefs thought processes make your people different from other humans? What do they feel, eat and wear? Do they celebrate particular religious festivities and holidays?
Well Claudia O’Doherty doesn’t have to imagine this as she is in fact the last surviving member of an under sea colony called Aquaplex.
Monster of the Deep 3D is O’Doherty’s first solo show and tells the story of her plight as the last surviving member of this utopian marine research facility that recently exploded killing its entire population, minus one.
This quirky lo-fi production comes complete with scientific diagrams, aluminium foil, glitter, interpretive dance, 80’s yacht rock and hand crafted ‘dream helmets’. O’Doherty has an uncanny knack of maintaining the audience’s attention through a series of witty personal accounts,
soliloquies and instructional presentations.
Although her visual aids and dioramas are reminiscent of an 8 year olds Geography project, the child-like nature of her props add to the authenticity and unique nature of the experience. We learn about the specific anthropological characteristics that embodied the Aquaplex community and the effects of aquatic living on the human psyche.
One particularly interesting story is that of “The Murderer”, a giant colossal squid that killed three Aquaplegians and their dog. These frightening last minutes are hilariously reinacted using O‘Doherty’s ability to channel the dead and her clever use of hats as props.
As the story unfolds it is obvious that O’Doherty is no normal 20 something year old. Though an eerie stroke of luck she just happened to take her Submersible Sea Bike for a ride at the exact time the Aquaplex complex “went up like a Chinese fireworks factory”.
There’s a lot people don’t know about Claudia O‘Doherty.
In her short life she has co-written a book called 100 Facts About Pandas, she is a third of award winning theatre group Pig Island, she can communicate with the dead, she is terrified of horses and she misses eating whale meat.
O’Doherty’s debut solo show Monster of the Deep 3D is playing as part of Belvoir St Theatre’s Summer Comedy showcase in Surry Hills, Sydney until Feb 14. Don’t miss an opportunity to submerge yourself in this fantastical journey and to laugh, cackle, giggle, chortle and hoot your way through the Aquaplegian experience.
B Sharp Summer: Monster of the Deep 3D
7 January – 14 February
Ticket Prices: Full Price: $32; Concession: $24; Group Bookings: $26 (5+). Cheap Tuesdays $12 min.
Performance Times:
Thursday 7 & Friday 8 Jan 8.15pm / Tuesday 12 Jan 7pm / Wed 13 Jan
8.15pm / Saturday 23 Jan 8.15pm / Sunday 24 Jan 5.15pm / Thursday 28 &
Friday 29 Jan 8.15pm / Tuesday 2 Feb 7pm / Wednesday 3 Feb 8.15pm /
Saturday 13 Feb 8.15pm / Sunday 14 Feb 5.15pm.
