Presented by I’m Trying To Kiss You as part of the 2011 Melbourne Fringe Festival, the three talented women behind the independent theatre company take you on a whirlwind journey that is sometimes confusing and always amusing in a sharp and witty tale.
Packed into the tiny space on Greeves St Fitzroy, the audience was elbow to elbow and knee to back as we crouched together in the makeshift theatre. Actually I think it was someone’s former kitchen as the sink and fittings would suggest. Yet this tiny “intimate” space was the perfect setting for a performance the likes of I Know There’s a lot of Noise. The experience wasn’t one of simply watching two actors perform, but rather they invited you into their home, into their story, which evidently became everyone’s story.
We first meet Katie (Anna McCarthy) and Imogen (Zoey Dawson) as they prepare themselves for a long awaited reunion. When the girls do finally see each other the tension is palpable as they struggle to make conversation with each other after so long apart. As the night wears on, the girls find they still have the grains of friendship and communication that brought them together in the first place, and regardless of how different their lives are now, are still bound together.
Clever writing and honest performances were at the heart of this piece that had me laughing in all the right places. The I’m Trying to Kiss You team says “we strive to make work that implicates, that stimulates and illuminates. We exist to create new experiences in theatre; we want sensory transcendence. We want theatrical immediacy. We demand intimacy.”
It is due to the commitment and dedication of this team that they achieve everything they set out to in their mission statement. Drawing in the audience in a completely unnoticeable manner, you are in the story before you realise it’s too late to escape. And why would you want to?
The gorgeous actors on stage pouring their heart and souls into their craft make it a compelling play that will resonate with every woman and a few men as well. The emotion, the irrational tendencies, and ultimately the enjoyment is what makes being alive so wonderful. I Know There’s a Lot Of Noise captures this force and runs with it in a delightfully entertaining way.
I’m Trying To Kiss You
I Know There’s A Lot Of Noise Outside But You Have To Close Your Eyes
Devised by Zoey Dawson, Anna McCarthy and Allison Witlshire
Directed by Allison Wiltshire
Venue: 137 Greeves Street Fitzroy
Dates: 21 – 28 September, 2011
Tickets: Full $20, Conc. $15
Bookings: www.melbournefringefestival.com.au | 9660 9666
Part of 2011 Melbourne Fringe Festival
