Rabbithead

Rabbithead
Directed by Tim Sincalir. Blue Room Theatre, Perth Cultural Centre, WA. 27 May - 14 June 2014

I happened upon the synopsis of Rabbithead in the Blueroom brochure shortly after seeing the show, and discovered that it bore almost no resemblance to the show I had just seen. I found this strange, but not as strange as the show itself.

The opening to the show is one of the sweetest I have seen in years. On a stage covered in fluff or fairy floss, a cute pink rabbit puppet appears and charms the audience. The fact that the rabbit seems to choke to death only slightly diminishes its sweetness.

It is not unusual for absurdist theatre to have a dreamlike quality. This is enhanced by designer Tessa Darcey's cloud like set from which props magically appear as required, by the pyjama-like initial costumes and by the abrupt and increasingly bizarre plot twists.

Deviser performers Holly Garvey and Violette Ayed play characters called Holly and Violette and the focus, dedication and sheer likeability of this duo is integral to the success of this production. It is narrated "especially for you" by Humphrey Bower and his occasional interruptions are an asset to the show. Costumes add additional elements of fun (especially that belonging to Violette's bogan boyfriend) and the pace is generally swift. Only a couple of overlong dance sequences slow the action as the audience is swept along with the story.

If you like sweet and quirky theatre and don't mind that your head may hurt if you try to read too much into it, you will love Little y and What She Said's production of Rabbithead.

Kimberley Shaw

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