From the Subiaco Post, Vol 27, No 33, 18-Aug-01
Review by Sarah McNeill
Emerging from the Collective Unconscious is an apt title for a collection of new short plays at the Blue Room Theatre.
All three writers - David Hayward, Tina Jack and Darren Day - make a gentle foray into the human psyche with characters that are at once naive and whimsical, sad and desperate.
Nice Eyes is a charming and curious monologue written by David Hayward. Darren Day performs the monologue with such a degree of artless naivety he successfully draws the audience in without ever taking command of the stage.
The unnamed character chats aimlessly to the audience, eyes, a jacket, a colour all provoking another aimless anecdote.
Chastity is also written by Hayward and is impressively performed by him with Tina Jack. In this comic sketch with a bizarre and unbelievable twist, they are Rock and Doris, guests at a wedding.
The bumbling small talk on the part of Rock quickly provokes a series of flirtatious sexual innuendos from Doris, a "narratorphilia" (someone who likes talking about it) whose natural career choice is as a phone-sex worker. Unfortunately Tina Jack felt compelled to eat her way through the quirky piece, detracting from any serious character development.
Holding My Breath is a further examination of a relationship, that of a married couple who now know what the other one is thinking and wish they didn't. Written by Tina Jack, it has the potential to be a truly insightful piece of writing but the monologues that break up the bitter double talk become self indulgent.
Fudge, written by Darren Day, is an endearing comedy, the only one that really uses comedy to full effect.
Liz Sideris gives a sparkling, beautifully contrived performance as a sugar-starved, kooky young woman desperate for friendship and fudge.
The four plays are simply devised, well-constructed pieces deserving of a first run at the Blue Room.
The little Northbridge theatre is rapidly gaining national interest for its support of new work and is the only venue in Perth where emerging artists can produce work for audience feedback.
Collective Unconscious closes at the Blue Room on Saturday, August 18.