A Night of Fun! with Underground Theatre Productions: Review

Underground Theatre Productions’ latest night of fun is a double-header, perfect fit of charm and chaos for a university theatre season.

Starting off the night we had That’s One Damn Sexy Ape by Gavin Roach, a riot from the get-go. Staging was simplistic but effective, where we got to watch an ape on stage react to the chaos around them for the entire show. The play was a fun nod to the viral 2016 zoo incident we all know, playing as both a tribute to internet absurdity and a cheeky commentary on spectacle and desire.

Bubo is our Ape (Aimee Tacon), complete with fur, a mask, and a blasé demeanour until they transformed into something unexpectedly sultry when the lights dimmed. Zoo met burlesque with an animalistic striptease mid-show, leaning fully into the play’s absurdity.

Aside from this, the cast of emerging creatives gave committed performances but seemed to take themselves a little too seriously. I felt the piece would’ve benefited from even more risk-taking and a stronger embrace of the ridiculousness. That said, Tate Newman deserves a special mention, every scene they were in had me laughing.

Next up we had Pandemonium (Is a Place on Earth), a fresh work by Abel Taylor.

This existential, time-travel teen comedy followed best friends River and Lana as they attempted to save humanity. The ideas were rich, balanced with teen angst and nostalgic pop culture (hello, Bowie with a vape). While the script took some bold swings, its scale outpaced the set and atmosphere of the direction, which felt slightly under-polished. Still, the direction kept things moving, and the actors brought clarity and heart to the abstract world.

The two lead performers, Darcy Jackson (Lana) and Rebecca Harland (River) had remarkable presence and chemistry amidst the philosophical spirals. The high school friendship reminded me of the girls in Puberty Blues and was a joy to watch. The script has potential here, especially if future iterations dig deeper into the characters' relationships and how they evolve under pressure.

In both pieces relevance and intertextuality came through strongly, reminding us of how strange, funny and bizarre life is.

Catch this event until 2nd August at Backdock Arts.

Tickets here