Warning: This production contains gunshots, strobe lighting, blood, violence, coarse language, insane puppetry and musical satire with an apocalyptic twist.
My giddy aunt - what a night at the theatre?!
Penned by the multi-talented Eddie Perfect, Vivid White, explores the modern day Melbourne real estate market, with erudition and devastatingly witty and warped musical numbers.
The premise revolves around two couples Liz and Ben and Cynthia and Evan, friends for years, who vie for the same ‘perfect’ house at auction, unleashing a nightmare of middle-class aspirations, postcode obsessions and blatant oppression of the renters.
Both Perfect’s lyrics and dialogue are lushly detailed with accurate musings of status, domestic hubris and social mores. Chants of “Buy or Die” and songs such as Rescue Dog and Soft Close Drawers (the latter incredibly rousing, almost revolutionary anthem like) beautifully captures the smugness and perceived cachet of those who own them.
The 7-member cast (Gillian Cosgriff, Virginia Gay, Brent Hill, Verity Hunt-Ballard, Keegan Joyce, Ben Mingay and Christina O’Neill) were all exceptionally versatile – singing, dancing, acting and playing instruments. But for me, Virginia Gay, deserves special mention in the dual roles of Güüs (a ravenous stupendously insightful octopus-like alien thingy) and Brenda (a ball-breaking, acerbic buyer’s advocate) playing each character with such gusto and impeccable comic timing.
Director, Dean Bryant, has commented on the weirdness and challenges that Perfect’s script posed and Set Designer, Owen Phillips, rose to the occasion with an inventiveness and economy on stage. Whilst Tim Chappel’s costume design, saw the actors cum musicians pay homage to the humble Aussie tracksuit (our unofficial national dress) by sporting fabulous parachute silk ensembles.
Just like the Dulux Colour consultant, who insists Cynthia and Evan choose the right white, Vivid White, confident that they’ve made the right decision and damn the consequences; Perfect’s analogy is asking us, what’s the real cost of the way houses are used to compare ones self-worth, and can we really afford it?
Melbourne Theatre Company presents
Vivid White
by Eddie Perfect
Director Dean Bryant
Venue: Southbank Theatre, The Sumner
Dates: 18 November – 23 December 2017
Bookings: 03 8688 0800 | mtc.com.au
