Perplex

A young couple arrive home from holidays to find that things are not quite as they left them. There are some weird pot plants around, the electricity has been cut-off, the apartment smells terrible – and where are the friends they left housesitting? Here they come, but who lives where and with whom? So opens Perplex, a lively piece of absurdist comedy from German writer Marcus Von Mayenberg (Fireface, The Ugly One).

“Essentially, the whole play is a riff on philosophy, reality and what it means to be alive,” says director Sarah Giles, “and what better place to explore reality than in the theatre, which is the ultimate lie.”

Building on her recent success with Mrs Warren’s Profession, Giles seems very comfortable in the comedy space. “I guess I’m drawn to comedy. I think it is just really nice to laugh.”

A comedy about philosophy sounds daunting but Giles sees it as the ideal vehicle to talk about complex things. “When I say, ‘It is a German comedy’, people respond with, ‘How can that even be possible?’ Yet it’s very funny. The way he pokes fun at Plato, Darwin, the theory of evolution, Nietzsche – is brilliant.”

A play of freewheeling chaos with the ground continually shifting under the audience’s feet makes for engaging theatre.

“The act of watching the whole thing unfold is the most wonderful experience,” says Giles. “It’s very moving. It’s got a lot of heart.” (GW)

Mar 31-May 3, Sydney Theatre Company, The Wharf, Pier 4, Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay, $30-65, (02) 9250 1777, sydneytheatre.com.au