My overall impression
Not going to lie, I brought my Kiwi friend to the show with me and had to have him translate a bit of the action and language from this play for me. At times, even he could not decipher what the characters were saying, but patience pays off for a chance to see a truly original and energetic look at the twisted life in rural Henderson, New Zealand. Jay Ryan is a powerful performer, with lightning fast dexterity and equal parts feminine/masculine instinct, which is important as he plays more than 7 different characters, from Australian immigrant mum to angry tranny to the intensely fucked-up Brad.
Throughout the show, I kept imagining Ryan as a child, stepping into his mother’s high heals and playing make believe for hours, now all grown up and doing so professionally. Some great moments are when he is at most playful, including a dance off between characters (Ryan playing both people, of course). The subject matter is funny, but dark, as Brad & Shane dabble in P, the latest speed-drug to sweep NZ, leading to a lot of dark, bizzaro behaviors that may shock/disturb some audiences. Contemporary, acrobatic, funny, and completely unique.
