Review: Arts Revue 2022
They certainly made a splash! Audience members left the arena soaked in laughter and overpriced spirits.
Image: Arts Revue 2022. Design by Kath Thomas
Arts Revue 2022 ‘Wipeout!’ leapt across buoyant red balls of bizarreness. At times bouncing across in success, and at other times cascading into chaos. In true ‘Wipeout!’ fashion, both outcomes made for outstanding entertainment.
The directors, Ochre Pastro and Will Torney, curated a Wipeout course packed with commotion, commentary, and clamour. Produced by Daisy Semmler, the experience was not dissimilar to the fervour of the Channel 9 television prodigy. They certainly made a splash! Audience members left the arena soaked in laughter and overpriced spirits.
The pandemic pushed the production back two years. There was an apparent sense that Seymour sought a smile, a certain sniggering– and that they were supplied. Immediate introduction into the Wipeout course sent the audience into a genuine guffaw. Electrifying energy exuded from the ensemble, with tremendous talent noticeable from the nosebleeds and beyond.
Triumph emerged in the reimagining of pop. Tunes of punk, rock, and even a Betty Crocker tribute were reworked into terrific and tactical tales. Tom Hetherington-Welch was undoubtedly the sonic showstopper. His leading performance of Here’s what you missed on Tom's sexualiGlee was impactful, intelligent, and utterly incredible. Ryan Murphy, eat your heart out.
The cast excels in their companionship — this became increasingly clear as the program progressed. Adele Beaumont and Carla Field stirred the audience with a lyrical distaste for Sara Lee. Meanwhile, Eloise Aiken and Pat Fuccilli plucked at our emo heartstrings and the turmoil that accompanies falling for a finance bro. Silence blanketed in the crowd — but only to sanction listening. Inevitably, lyrics were interrupted by unanimous audience euphoria, and an unavoidable itch to clap and sing along.
Conspicuous characterisation captivated the crowd, with accents proving prominent. Nat Jenson marvelled as Australian gambling addict slash John Green Superfan, legitimising what would otherwise be an oxymoron. Celebrity impersonations were also impressive in action. Luke Mešterović — cosplayed as both Billy Elliot and Bachelor host Osher Günsberg — definitely demonstrated remarkable range. Sam Hill-Wade coded as pink panther prancing Richard Hammond was awesome in its absurdity, but accurate enough to prompt a Youtube search of Top Gear Best Moments once I arrived home.
The crowd clutched to these characters, craving more quirks and caprices. As quickly as the audience fell infatuated, the quicker the characters appeared to flee from their figurative (and non-figurative) Wipeout podium. Though fast-paced and fabulous, I felt unfulfilled at times with the narrative and notions of characters who were deserving of more depth. This aids in the general disconnect to the thematics of Wipeout, whereby audience members alike attach to game players through their evolution in the arena. Nevertheless, bashing Bachelor contestant Patrick Mckenzie satisfied this certain craving– connecting character to concept. Laughter followed his swiping of potential prospects on podiums as they fell into the inevitable pool of Bachelor in Paradise back-ups. Heads physically turned following such superb stage direction and it was invigoratingly intelligent.
The creativity of the cast and crew in knowing how to capture, connect and critique a crowd is undeniable. Ecstasy was held in that theatre — with Seymour smug knowing it was worthy of the wait. Arts Revue 2022 performed a production proudly and profoundly. It would be foolish not to attend this Wipeout round, and hey, you might even make it across the four red balls of bizarreness.