I Want To Know What Love Is

This delightfully engaging show is difficult to define.

Director/writer Daniel Evans (recently announced winner of the 2014-15 Queensland Premier’s Drama Award) describes it as a performance Ode to love, celebrating the responses of 812 people of diverse ages and backgrounds who responded to a recent website The Good Room set up called wewantyourlove.com.

Evans directed and led Lauren Clelland and the four actors (Carol Burns, Tom Cossettini, Caroline Dunphy and Amy Ingram), as well as Principal Designer, Kieran Swann, Lighting Designer, Jason Glenwright, Composer and Sound Designer, Lawrence English through an extensive improvisation process, examining recurring themes, styles of meeting up, longevity of romance, pain of breaking up, etc.

Theirs is a brave examination of a broad canvas. The actors do not shy away from coarse but appropriate language here, personal detailed descriptions of first or later encounters, emotional turmoil – all the peaks and depths of love.

With no scenery or furniture, just several microphones, clever lighting and music, ten plastic rubbish bags filled with rose petals and their own talents and bodies, the performers breathe life into memorable moments from anonymous people’s lives. If we in the audience are also seduced momentarily into moments from our own past, that’s theatre magic. This company nails it.

Jay McKee

Photographer: Dave D'Arcy