Hard Rubbish

Hard Rubbish
Original Concept by Men of Steel. Presented by Malthouse Theatre, Strut & Fret and Men of Steel. Becket Theatre, Malthouse. 12 September – 6 October, 2013.

Wild and woolly holiday entertainment for the whole family – anybody?  Hard Rubbish could just hit the mark. But a small warning - the mark could be you if you are sitting close to the front.  There is crossfire of toilet rolls and other fairly soft objects, as part of the fun raucous fun in the ‘liminal space’ of theatre for kids.

Risqué and pretty out there, Hard Rubbish requires imaginative engagement from its audience of all ages except those who are faint hearted, who should probably stay well away or right up the back.  It delves into that pull-everything-apart, smash and shatter urge that kids have.  And on that level it ‘lets rip’ and is hugely satisfying.

On a set resembling the back recesses of any old garage where some solid, but past its use by date, furniture is awaiting its final journey to the tip, a number of puppeteers venture to bring objects to surprising life.  And what could be inane turns to an effecting ‘touch and go’ battle between goodness and meanness.

The sixty minutes is full and eventful and contains moments of surprising depth and pathos.  When asked what it was about the youngster who accompanied me said something to the effect that it has a lot to do with caring. She was having a great time, she laughed and she cried and she clapped.

For this reviewer some spots lagged and felt a little like puppeteers playing in a workshop space. But regardless, the loud music carries everything forward and the overall outcome is a celebration of the joy of theatre and the fantastic legacy of puppeteering that Melbourne has – from Handspan to Polyglot to Men of Steel.

Awesome for a family holiday treat!

Suzanne Sandow

Created by Hamish Fletcher, Jared Lewis, Phillip McInnes, Ian Pidd, Tamara Rewse, Sam Routledge and Malia Walsh

Directed by Ian Pidd

Cast:  Hamish Fletcher, Phillip McInnes Tamara Rewse and Malia Walsh

Lighting and Sound Design Jared Lewis

Photographer: Jeff Busby

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