Words: Alex Grunberg
Image: Maggie Zhu

4 Stars

Two old friends meet to reopen wounds and discover the truth hiding inside fiction.

The surreal atmosphere of the small flat depicted onstage where the two actors stalk each other, sharing the role of predator and prey, create an immediate tension in the theatre. The performances are stylized, and paired with the strange twisting story will be welcome to fans of independent thriller and horror films – those dark stories of the human psyche that are not afraid to share risky revelations on complex relationships. The story is mature and defies simplistic explanations or characters that fit neatly into expected boxes.

The most impressive part of this production was the deceptively clever performances of the two lead actors. At the moments when the characters break each other, when truth slips through the cracks of their personas, we can see how much of their “act” is a purposeful creation of the characters – one that is constantly under threat by that spiralling truth bubbling to be revealed. You can see it in the wild eyes of May, even before her emotions reach their heights. You can see it when the veneer of class slips from Eric, as the cultivated air shows just how cultivated it is.

These two talented actors carry the story with a purposeful off-kilter attitude that keeps the audience on edge.

THINGS BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
UNDERBELLY, BRISTO SQUARE – JERSEY
13:00
Aug 9-12, 14-26