Australia, it’s time to clean your room | The Cheeky Sparrow | Jan 28, Feb 1-4 |★ ★ ★
‘Australia, it’s time to clean your room’ is a two man theatre piece by emerging Perth company The Theatre Diary.
It centres around marriage equality as a moral and political issue and is delivered with dynamic and occasionally abstract re-enactment, and pre-recorded audio.
If you’re looking for a taster plate of the topical issue this show might be for you. It offers up a short selection of personal takes on marriage and homosexuality. With real researched lines from members of the public and members of the public eye, it’s certainly enough for a decent overview.
Although I would suggest that a seasoned LGBTIQ commentator will find it a little too general. On the other hand, it does well as an introduction for your ignorant aunt or your confused friend, without coming off as condescending.
This show is rated medium for UV in the fringe guide and that’s probably a fairly accurate assessment. It doesn’t take risks and as such finds itself stuck somewhere in the middle ground.
If you’re attending fringe to be shocked, or you’re the type to find yourself wondering why they didn’t include issues around marriage for transgender, intersex or gender-queer people, it might come up a little short of the mark for you.
As a piece of art however, the mostly found script is well curated and the central metaphor is a fun visual that does a good job of holding attention. The actors have some great chemistry on stage and the cosy venue is well utilised.
Australia, it’s time to clean your room is showing at The Cheeky Sparrow in Wolf Lane, an intimate setting for a suitably intimate show. This is a good show for starting conversation. At under an hour and without shoving it down your throat, it’s a solid production for a home-grown theatre team and a sign that we will see good things from The Theatre Diary in the future.
Max Mustard
