Reviews

Set in a suburban supermarket, a tense and batty competition is taking place. To win the admiration of their boss and a badge that reads “Special”, two employees perform athletic feats of sheer lunacy on precariously balanced bits of clear acrylic. One is an eager, newly-hired cashier. The other? A seasoned employee who happens to be a bagel-spitting squawking chicken-woman hybrid. Or, is she an actual chicken? Who knows!

The Pink Flamingo has every reason to be proud of itself. In less than 4 years it has created  9 spectacular production shows, imported circus stars from all over the world, survived the pandemic which sent many producers to the wall, PLUS earned its spot on Trip Advisor as one of the top 10% must see attractions in the WORLD. That’s quite an achievement in show business anywhere. Let alone on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

When we step out of the Autumnal chill of Goodwood Road into the Institute, we’re shown into the theatre – but instead of finding our seats in the auditorium, we’re led behind the stage curtain, and onto the stage itself. A lush white carpet that silently screams wealth separates the audience into two halves – it’s a traverse stage, so we’re staring across a sparsely decorated room to our fellow audience.

When the Rain Stops Falling has been one of the more popular play choices of recent years, and this production by Theatre Arts at Curtin and the Hayman Theatre is a strong incarnation of this well-written, but complex text. A play that spans four generations and includes older characters is a challenge for a cast in their late teens and twenties, but this young cast do a marvellous job.