Penthouse | The Blue Room | til Nov 17 | ★ ★ ★ ★ ½
I have never heard of Lazy Yarns the creative group behind Penthouse and so had no idea what to expect. It was described to me as a play about luxury living.
Upon arriving at the Blue Room, I was given a program filled with coolly reserved, smart, slick photos taken on what I assume is the Alex Hotel which spoke of a Heist movie vibes. This was further re-enforced by the usher announcing a warning for smoking, violence, drug use and swearing.
So I went in expecting handsomely dressed men giving thinly veiled threats. I am glad I did not get this.
What I got was a high energy, funky, funny, and chilling show.
I’ll start with the set, because that is what I saw first. An angular outline of windows/walls in strips of LED lights that came to life and worked seamlessly to create jarring sudden changes, slow trippy fades and ultimately a beautiful penthouse apartment. The moment the elevator scene happened I knew I was in the hands of skilled lighting and sound designers. All throughout there are little moments where the sound an lighting seamlessly create worlds and experiences in this play.
The play itself was structured and staged in a way that didn’t allow my attention to wander, I was either laughing or really wanting the ugliness to stop, and then sometimes laughing at the ugliness. The highlights for me were definitely the dance sequences and trip out sequences which were fully realised by the animalistic and urgent Isaac Diamond, the boyish manipulative and cruel Campbell Pollock and the weird, power-game playing, sometimes surprisingly sympathetic Hayden Wilson.
The dynamics of these men and the desperation, the rawness and the shame that was bought to the stage made for a powerful show. There was an undertone – or maybe an overtone of sexuality between the men that made you question what was going to happen from one moment to the next. A screaming match could just as easily end in a long lingering hug as a punch out to the floor.
The costumes made me think of the 1970s and the fight sequences were at times less violent than the dancing.
Penthouse will be at The Blue Room until Saturday November 17. Tickets and more information available from blueroom.org.au
Sophia Gilet
Image:- Susie Blatchford
