| I (Honestly) Love You |
| Written by Hayley Mayne |
| Saturday, 19 May 2012 21:21 |
 What happens when two people that can't lie, meet and fall in love? Comedy that's what! Damon Lockwood's show is "a toast to vicious truth because life is too damn short."The world of dating is traumatic enough without the added pressure of only being able to tell the truth. Can you imagine being on a first date and being asked what kind of person you are and having to tell the truth warts and all? Or that first time you get intimate but can't fake it? Or being asked the age-old question by your new girlfriend 'does my bum look big in this?' It's all just a disaster waiting to happen really – but a funny one. Written by well-known actor and writer on the Perth scene, Damon Lockwood, I (Honestly) Love You is a light-hearted, humorous and entertaining piece of theatre. The actors greet the audience as they enter the small performance space at the Blue Room Theatre. This immediately adds a sense of intimacy for the production and sets the scene to 'break down the fourth wall' and invite the audience to feel a part of the production. The play opens with the audience being invited to respond to set prompts through the show and one audience member quite literally gets involved in the action. The four actors in the show Jimmy James Eaton, George Gayler, Talei Howell-Price and Lockwood work seamlessly together in comedic harmony. Eaton is a well-known face on the Perth comedy scene and after his recent move to Melbourne he is fast making a name for himself across Australia. Gayler is not so well known on the Perth scene but she certainly holds her own playing opposite Eaton as his love interest Belle. Costuming and set design were well integrated with a common theme throughout. The set made good use of a small stage and our imagination filled in the gaps. I particularly liked the scene where the heartbroken lovers looked out from their windows at the pouring rain. Lockwood and Howell-Price doubled up characters in one scene, each one taking on two different personas portrayed by a change in accent and mannerisms. The actors laughed at their own attempts to switch characters, much to the amusement of the audience. The send up of a traditional dream sequence was well received. The characters reflected on the lovers' courtship through a fast-forward of all the previous scenes. This provided one of my favourite moments in the show. Lockwood has over ten years experience writing shows. HorseHead was nominated for a 2008 Equity Guild Award for Best New Play and Blue Room Theatre Member's Choice. Saturday Night was shortlisted for a 2006 Short and Sweet Sydney award. Other shows written by Lockwood include Domestic Bliss, Pri-mates, Muttaburrasaurus, Gogo Fish and A Change in the Weather. I (Honestly) Love You is well worth a look and a night of laughter is certainly good for the soul. If you look a little deeper, it might also make you question all those little white lies you tell your spouse and make you wonder if perhaps, honesty is the best policy after all. I (honestly) Love You by Damon Lockwood Directed by Damon Lockwood Venue: Blue Room Theatre | 53 James Street, Northbridge Dates: 15 May – 2 June, 2012 Tickets: $25 – $20 Bookings: www.blueroom.org.au Comments (0)Subscribe to this comment's feedWrite commentYou must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
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