Robert the Octopus

Robert the Octopus is a tale of inter-species connection – even romance.  But it’s not like those moving clips on Facebook where, say, a full-grown lion embraces the humans who brought him up, or the goose that comes waddling at speed when the woman who brought her up from a gosling appears.  Yes, there is a hint of bestiality in Robert the Octopus, but this brilliantly performed and directed show is too funny to get icky.  Besides, it has more to say about humans than about octopi (a plural disputed by this octopus in the course of the show).

The show begins in a very human, recognisable and hilarious way with singleton Sadie (Mich McCowage) desperately hanging out for a phone call from their workplace crush Georgia (Hallie Goodman).  When the call doesn’t come and unable to bear the frustration any longer, Sadie phones Georgia - repeatedly… only to get voice mail over and over again.  Sadie is, I’m afraid, a tragic figure, but we’re not too sorry for them because of McCowage’s very physical, detailed comic performance. 

Newly deserted (of course) by her cat, Sadie opts for a new pet – but something unusual…  Enter Robert (Lily Fish) an octopus purchased from a tank in a pet shop.  Fish comes about as close as a human can in impersonating – or creating – an octopus on stage.  It’s more suggestion than verisimilitude, but it works.  Dressed in a pinkie-gold bodysuit, complete with helmet, Robert is at first, just an octopus – slithering about, making a mess and disconcerting Sadie with unexpected tentacle moves. 

But as bait for Georgia (Hallie Goodman – another fine comic performance), Robert is a hit – except that Georgia is more interested – in an almost weird sexual way - in Robert than with Sadie…  A key strand underlying the superb physical comedy of Robert the Octopus is pathos.  This is a very funny show – until you think about Sadie’s life. 

Director Kimberly Twiner is a specialist and teacher of physical comedy, and her skills and great talent have been – as they are here – evident in show after show, notably and recently Sticky Beak and Lady McBreast.  Here, those skills are most evident with the Octopus – but certainly present in the human characters’ performances. 

To say more about the sometimes-arbitrary plot would be to give away too much.  Director Twiner is also responsible for the costumes.  When we meet sophisticated and confident Georgia, we see immediately that frumpy Sadie needs help.  The question is, will they get it? 

A magical lighting change, created by Bronwyn Pringle, turns Robert into much more than a slithering, slimy, annoying sea creature.  One moment a scary monster, then a rather pompous antagonist and then – unexpectedly - a condescending mentor.  Robert’s (i.e. Fish’s) facial expressions – to which the humans are oblivious – in reaction to human stupidity - are alone worth the price of admission.

Octopus – the text - has had a lengthy gestation, but it’s what Fish, McCowage, Goodman and Twiner do with it that makes this show definitely worth seeing.

Michael Brindley

Photographer: Darren Gill