Yirra Yaakin Vignette Series | Subiaco Arts Centre | Until 30th June | ★ ★ ★ ★

Presented in the smaller studio space at the Subiaco Arts Centre, this fun project shows work created by up-and-coming playwrights being mentored through the company’s writing program.

We’re presented with eight short plays, each running a little over 10 minutes, and it’s a journey through many different themes topics and tales.

Many of the pieces were previously delivered as readings at Yirra Yaarnz, and here we get to see them staged and brought to life. Hopefully the next stage will be expanding some of them into larger pieces.

Cezera Critti-Schnaars, Bruce Denny, Andrea Fernandez, Barbara Hostalek, Zac James, Declan Taylor and Merlin Wolf have all contributed scripts. Critti-Schnaars and Denny pull double duty as actors alongside Adam Edwards, Marlanie Haerawa, Bobbi Henry and Wimiya Woodley.

Across the works we dive into tales about bad first dates, time travel, discrimination, ageing, misguided vigilantism, and so many other things. The stand out works were Zac James Marlu Man which was reminiscent of a Martin McDonagh play, there’s a great seed there for a longer work.

Salted Pretzels from Cezera Critti-Schnaars was another work that focused on dating and relationships, leaving many interesting threads that left the audience wanting to know more about the characters and their opposing views on many topics.

The performances from the actors were impressive and they quickly switched from one work to another, playing a range of different characters in quick succession.

This was a fun theatrical experience and there was so much to chat about with friends after the show, eight different sets of ideas and stories to discuss in-depth as all the works provoked different ideas.

See this Yirra Yaakin show at the Subiaco Arts Centre until 30th June.

Graeme Watson

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