I Just Came To Say Goodbye is more than a farewell to bad relationships, bad childhoods and bad dreams. It’s a stupendous sound off of every emotion you’ve spent, every moment you’d traded off and every secret you’ve denied.
Worth the lining up, and the extra red from the La Boite’s house bar, the cacophony of feelings is almost too much to bear (but not too much, really, don’t leave, there’s a lock out). Going into the show in the headspace just before dubious but not too far from skeptical perhaps this was the perfect chariot to carry us along into this fantastical, dark, glitzy, glamorous hell.
Drawing on Brecht-ian sentiments, we are eagerly transported first into an assembly of bowling hall staff perhaps, constantly breaking up the earthy stage in front of us. Then, the perfect pacing of ear piercing, high-pitched screaming narratives deliver a sickly feeling in the stomach, as well as an eagerness to be further nauseated.
Drawing on thematic yester-vibes of Post Secret, as well as current currents of politically charged opinions, everything on the stage glimmers like pearls under the stage lights. The choreography is more delightful than a tragic ballet gone wrong, each spit, splash, and glob of sweat cast under the spotlights is all part of the magic. Do not be afraid of the front row, it is more than worth it.
It’s incredible, similar to moths drawn to the flame we are drawn to sadness, and anger drawn to comedy, comedy drawn to tragedy. It’s a dark, flaming circle like the window of a submarine revealing little of what’s on the other side unless you push your nose up to the thick glass.
If this manic, intense gallery of confessions hasn’t frightened you off yet, good, shows are running at Theatre Republic until September 23rd. Along with the interactive delights of Theatre Republic we strongly support your voyeurism of real confessions, over 200, submitted by Australians around the country.
Grab tickets to the show HERE.
The reviewer attended the performance on 21st September.
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