Things we know before we arrive to watch this play.

Its reputation precedes it. It’s said to be a smart, thought-provoking, challenging rom-drama circa early 2000s. The words “moral ambiguity” tend to be used when referencing it. There’s an implied spoiler alert. The reviews unfailingly shy away from mentioning the plot – always a neon sign that there’s something in there that can’t be divulged by reviewers for fear of ruining the punchline. And, as it turns out, there is. You’ll see.

Things we assume before we arrive to watch this play.

It’s going to be a gritty watch. The subject material will be challenging. The cast for this Rep Invercargill production numbers just four, and they’re all really good, so there’ll be a lot of dialogue and character interaction. We assume tension, probably some of it sexual. As it turns out, there is.

Things we learn while watching this play.

The play can be viewed as both a statement on artistic expression and a viciously satirical take on youthful relationships.

The four actors are beyond good. They’re sublime. 

This is difficult material but Maggie Pirie, Logan Dalgity, Conrad Broad and Kellie Post don’t just deliver a big-city phonebook worth of sassy lines. They revel in their characters, who are flawed, complex, relatable, sympathetic, combative, sometimes plain unlikeable. Their interactions evolve naturally but quickly in scenes that are intense vignettes, rising in volume from tenderness to a scream-out-loud crescendo. Sometimes the argument scenes suck the oxygen out of the room. It is enthralling theatre.

There are moments when we feel like we are watching an extended episode of Friends, minus the comedy and canned laughter. The set is really sharp, and the transitions are in themselves entertaining. Well played, support people. The gen Y soundtrack between scenes is hip and the songs have relevance to the storyline, which twists and turns on itself in a serpentine, self-destructive death roll. Despite the animated chat, there is an unnerving sense that the play is building to something explosive, perhaps devastatingly profound. As it turns out, it is.

 Evelyn is the dominant character, an intelligent, manipulative tour de force, and Maggie Pirie’s performance in this role is spectacular. She is a genuine class act. We knew this already. Logan Dalgity’s character Adam is transformative and this too requires excellent range and acting chops. Kellie Post impresses as the quiet, sheltered, straight one in her memorable debut for Invercargill Repertory, although she has previous form in South Otago, and the dependably abrasive Conrad Broad turns up the heat as the “arrogant prick” Phillip.

Neil McDonald’s first foray in the director’s chair is a wonderful success. He exudes total belief in the play and his people, and he can feel thoroughly proud of the piece his cast and crew have delivered.

Directed by Neil McDonald

Repertory House, Invercargill

November 1-4

Tickets: https://nz.patronbase.com/_RepertoryInvercargill/Productions