The Sugar Syndrome

Danni is seventeen and full of the rage that seems only possible for one so young. Online she meets Tim, who thinks that she is a young boy – and Tim likes young boys… So begins The Sugar Syndrome by Lucy Prebble, which opens The Kings Collective 2015 season.

Prebble is a young writer with a big reputation. When the show premiered in London it took out a raft of prestigious awards, being variously described as wise, sad, funny and a ‘must see’.

Despite the potential ‘darkness’ of the subject matter, director Jessica Arthur was most captured by the humour of the play. One of NIDA’s up-and-coming graduate directors, Jessica has just finished assisting Andrew Upton on STC’s Endgame. “Surpisingly, the play is very funny,” she says. “The darkness is presented in a very human, everyday sort of way.”

Staging the play in an unconventional gallery space presented some interesting propositions. “The wide, shallow space is perfect for what we’re doing,” says Arthur. “We’ve split it into three spaces so that the main character Danni navigates between three worlds, with all characters on stage at one time.”

Imbued with punchy characters that have many flaws, this play is made all the more real by their everyday plausibility. Sympathy for the broken mirror of damaged people beckons.

17 – 30 June, Tuesday – Saturday 7:30pm, Wednesday and Saturday 2pm, Sunday 5:00pm. District 01, 7 Randle Lane, Surry Hills. $25-30. Tickets: www.trybooking.com or 133 211.