Reviews

The title of this play cleverly references a famous board game and immediately conjures up the idea of not being able to get ahead in life. This is a theme that resonates strongly with contemporary audiences who are experiencing some of the most difficult and bizarre socio-political and economic circumstances seen in recent history.

This is a new play by award winning writer Jada Alberts. This text gives a very strong, beautiful and affirmative voice to Indigenous women and culture and involves a powerhouse of Indigenous women performers: real life sisters Rachael Maza (Aunty) and Lisa Maza (Mum), Tahlee Fereday (Bub) and Trisha Morton-Thomas (Nan). The story is set in Larrakia country (Darwin, NT) where Alberts was born and raised.

Stepping through the door into Judy’s, the audience is immediately met by the star and the show has already begun before we take our seats. A modest sized room, filled only with a single wall of bookcases, jam-packed with office and scientific paraphernalia, and simple seating around the other walls comprises the very intimate performance space. There is no fourth wall in this solo show and the minimal audience is immediately drawn into the proceedings and continually encouraged to interact throughout the show.

Have you ever wanted to kill someone?

This unsettling question sets the tone for a soul-searching analysis that leaves audiences questioning their own values and the nature of human darkness. Tonsils + Tweezers, by playwright Will O’Mahony, blends sharp humour with emotional depth in a surreal black-comedy about friendship and the lingering impact of the past.