REVIEW: The Squeal In The Pen

REVIEW: The Squeal In The Pen

It’s a short black comedy, 35 minutes of experimental, psychological fun, a type of Gestalt therapy; pure craziness with a twist of devotion and cruelty.

The Squeal In The Pen is part of the New Fitz New Writers Program, one of ten new works commissioned exclusively for the Old Fitz Theatre.

The Squeal In The Pen shows first and then at 8.15pm, the very bleak play 4:48 Psychosis. Both plays centre around the theme of mental illness. The Squeal In The Pen is a wonderful reinterpretation of the madness of 4:48 Psychosis and shows us the humorous side to psychiatry and losing your mind.

There is softly spoken, love sick Charlie, in a white disposable dust suit, raving about his latest infatuation. There’s tension among the audience as this is beginning to look like a night of audience participation and a weird, (ego and super ego) relationship is forming between actor and the observers.

A repetitive loud pinging sound; Karly and Charlie kneel, hands behind their heads. Both are prisoners who submit to an unseen force.

Although they are locked up they are happy. Even though they’ve forgotten where they come from, they both know one thing, they are in love with a tea cup pig…. Then Harold in a dinner suit puts a whole new perspective on true love.

We struggle to make sense of it all and then give in to an absurdity where the actors have clearly lost their grip within a psychodrama.

It’s not clear what is happening in this play, it’s not meant to be a defined narrative, but rather a surreal, evolving imaginative force that gets you caught up in its flow. Playwright Benedict Hardie’s words are well crafted, concise and chosen carefully.

Until Sep 9. Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling St (Cnr Cathedral St), Woolloomooloo. $25. Tickets & info: www.redlineproductions.com.au

Reviewed by Mel Somerville.

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