Sink | The Blue Room | 8th February | ★ ★ ★ ★
Sink is a wonderful, fast-paced piece of theatre that subverts narrative expectations to glorious effect. And it’s chock full of bright young things: six actors in total portray a group of friends as the stumble, mumble and fumble their way through an array of fancy dress parties, all taking place in the one flat. That means there are costume changes and drugs galore… plus so much more.
Now, it’s gonna be tricky talking about this show, because the plot is so wonderfully conceived that one wrong step and I could slip you a spoiler. So be aware that the overall vagueness of this review is intentional: I truly think audiences should go into this work with as little knowledge about who is who, who does who, and who does what. Trust me, piecing it all together adds to the entire production, especially when you realise that this story is being told across three or more nights.
So… when attending a party it’s a known fact that if you want to make friends, you hang out in the kitchen. But if you want to learn everyone’s secrets – and/or get on – hang out in the bathroom. It makes sense then that Sink takes place a bathroom filled with mint scented shower gel, empty cups, pregnancy tests, bumps of cocaine and a ghost. Yup, you read that right: this group of friends are mourning the death of one of their own.
Who exactly has passed away soon becomes apparent, but the reasons for their death is what the audience slowly figures out amid an assault of some incredibly snappy dialogue, explorations of queerness and a heavy dose of toxic masculinity. In fact, this play tackles the masculine persona with searing insight and aplomb. It should be noted that Sink does include discussions of rape, struggles with mental health and suicidal ideation / discussion. But these topics, while brutal, are presented with sensitivity.
Stand out moments are literally every time Crispin is on stage. This actor’s portrayal of being excruciatingly munted is spot on and thoroughly comedic. The dialogue between Crispin and Butcher Benny is sublime, heartbreaking and so cleverly brought into the space. The dichotomy of Caleb and Rocky as how heteronormativity can be queered is brilliantly rendered, while Liz and Lazy Amy capture and portray the feminine with an equal intensity.
Theatre company Beyond The Yard have accomplished something quite special with Sink. The pace is electric and the characters are all thoroughly delightful and despicable in their own unique ways. Of particular note is the way this play travels through time and I applaud the clever way the narrative unfolds and bends back into itself. Don’t let the name fool you: Sink is sure to uplift.
Sink is directed by Terrance Smith and features Kade Power, Brad Albert, Tallulah Starkie, Anna Lindstedt, Declan Brown & Liam Longley.
See Sink at Fringe World until 8th February, tickets on sale now.
Scott-Patrick Mitchell (SPM) is a non-binary performance poet and writer with over 20 years review experience. SPM appears in Contemporary Australian Poetry, won the 2019 Wollongong Short Story Prize and has created such stage works as The 24 Hour Performance Poem.
