Sydney Reviews

For 6 years the Australian Theatre for Young People has been presenting a night of monologues providing a wonderful platform for young actors to develop their craft. However this year is their last and All Good Things is the final showcase. Ten young actors take to the stage with monologues that cover the dark, dismal and sometimes hilarious corners of adolescent doubts, despairs and dreams.

At least one of the characters presented to you will resonate or remind you of someone you know, be it in the way they talk, the mannerisms they use or the content of the monologue.

Sarah Meacham is the first person to take the stage and she sets a high standard. Her monologue Nice written by Gemma Neall, is a lovely combination of humour and apprehension. At first you are caught up in her perfect interpretation of the stereotypical ‘young person’ but it is not long before you catch glimpses of trepidation. Meacham is excellent in her interpretation of her monologue. 

She is followed by nine others and while the monologues never directly connect they do interrupt each other. This interweaving of stories works well and maintains a good pace through the performance. 

Being teenager is hard, your sexuality, your social status, your gender, your perceptions of yourself and the physical shenanigans that all come with being a teenager are all called into question. The world does not wait kindly for you to figure it all out. Most of the monologues in All Good Things deal with darker side of life. But life can also be joyful and funny and witty while it transitions us from who we were into who we will become and only a few of the monologues seemed to indulge in this part of growing up.

The show closes with the final part of The Fuzz a monologue performed by Jonas Thompson. This monologue was wonderfully written Kirby Medway and it addresses facial hair in young men – a serious and highly anxious aspect of puberty. Delivered with humour, Jonas Thompson performs it beautifully reminding us of, peer pressure and the ridiculous lengths we will go to fit in or stand out.

The staging, by Emma Vine, and lighting, by Emma Lockhart-Wilson’s, worked very well together. Lockhart-Wilson’s lighting design Illuminated well chosen props and kept you focused on the time and place being presented. 

It is sad that All Good Things is the last of its kind. Watching it there is a sense of excitement for the young people. You feel like you could be watching the beginning of a remarkable acting career. These young people have used All Good Things to hone their art, to push their abilities to the next level. If all good things must come to an end then at least they are going out with a bang.

Australian Theatre for Young People presents
The Voices Project: All Good Things

Director Iain Sinclair

Venue: ATYP Studio 1, The Wharf, Sydney NSW
Dates: 3 – 20 February 2016
Tickets: $35
Bookings: 02 9270 2400