Some things are better experienced than described and La Boite’s latest world premiere show IRL is one of them.
And that’s apt, considering that IRL stands for In Real Life which you might not have known if, like me, you’re the wrong generation.
Now that I’ve seen it, I understand the difficulty of summarising the play’s madcap mayhem in a way that captures its broad appeal. I imagine the BBC had the same trouble promoting the first season of Monty Python’s Flying Circus and its clever-silly absurdist satire to a mainstream viewing audience.
They didn’t have the added challenge, however, of an apparently narrow niche – awkward nerdy teens who are into messaging rather than talking, and cosplay and gaming, and who don’t fit gender stereotypes.
And while members of the opening night crowd identifying with any or several of those categories might have laughed louder and longer, and got a few more of the jokes others missed, thanks to great writing, performances and staging this play was a hoot for everyone.
Pop culture references, idiosyncratic heightened characters, witty dialogue examining the minutiae of everyday relationships and greater philosophical issues and absurd physical antics make this situational comedy zing. My favourite part was the descriptions of emojis in the recitation of messages.
And yes, speaking of sitcoms with neurotically nerdy boys, an outwardly confident female best friend navigating awkward relationship dynamics and scenarios, it does have a touch of The Big Bang Theory about it.
Thaddeus, the perfectly cast Byron Lankester Howells, is more a movie buff. Playwright Lewis Treston clearly is too, his well-constructed romp echoing the dynamics of some of Hollywood’s classic comedies.
His adaptation of An Ideal Husband for La Boite last year was described as “bonkers” and, based on seeing IRL, I can understand how it might have earned that assessment.
When La Boite commissioned this work in 2020, Treston found its genesis in the realisation that all his plays feature a character wearing “a ludicrous costume or outfit of some description”.
So he ran with that here. We meet protagonist Alexei (the brilliant Will Bartolo) in a pink Cinderella gown and blonde wig. Clearly there’s no disguising his gayness – and he doesn’t want to. It’s a different story for his still closeted internet crush T (Thaddeus).
When they set up their first meeting IRL at the Supernova convention, where Alexei’s rising star actor bestie Taylor (Rachel Nutchey) is the Q&A guest and having an existential crisis, things get a bit crazy.
The three actors take on multiple roles and crazy costumes making this a typical cosplay; Nutchey maximises the extreme range she’s given both within Taylor, and her other comic creations.
These populate a fast-paced 90-minute ride through different genres and settings – as well as the subconscious. I’m wondering if there was a contest at La Boite this year for playwrights to find a way to feature fish. If you also saw Capricorn, you’ll know what I mean.
Treston doesn’t just have his actors breaking the fourth wall with inner monologues, he also makes us co-conspirators forming a chorus of judgement inside their minds.
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The mash-up could have been a hot mess, but it hits the mark. Director Sanja Simić nails the material, wonderfully aided by Anthony Spinaze’s set and costume design (realised by M’ck McKeague). Kudos to Nigel Poulton and Sammie Williams for fun fish and fight choreography respectively, and the Hughes brothers Ben (lighting) and Wil (sound design and composition).
Unfortunately, though some of the dialogue wasn’t clear and at times it was drowned out by laughter – not such a tough problem to have.
IRL serves up food for thought but doesn’t dwell on it. Achieving an ideal balance of humour, warmth, charm, quirkiness, meaning and poignancy, I can see it getting a cult following and being adapted to other media. Clapping hands, smiley face, star eyes emoji please.
IRL continues at La Boite Theatre, Kelvin Grove, until November 25
laboite.com.au
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