Buried

A short but sweet night out. Xavier Coy’s two contrasting plays The Sandpiper and Smokin’ Joe combine for a light entertaining production.

The Sandpiper was a psychological short play. A visit by Hannah (Amelia Campbell) to a psychologist Amy (Tara Clark) does not turn out as expected. There are mind games and probing by Hannah of her psychologist. It is an interesting piece of writing that left the audience with unanswered questions, wanting more.

In contrast, Smokin’Joe is a more intense play with comedic turns, with Finn (Nicholas Denton) turning up for a day’s work for a job he doesn’t want. Dylan (Xavier Coy) is the typical ‘Aussie’ bloke who is the boss, a landscaper who likes drinking and smoking weed to pass the day.

The contrasting personalities of the characters worked in both plays. The actors handled their roles well.

The set design worked efficiently as a backdrop to both plays. A huge piece of rubber sheeting as a curtain, with brown lines painted as trees, suited Smokin’Joe as an area that felt like the setting was in the bush, with the addition of two red sofa chairs with cushions for The Sandpiper. With a simple but effective lighting design.

New writing needs to be explored more, and these two short simple plays suited the intimacy of the Old 505.

Charlotte Hanson