Presented by The Blue Room Theatre’s Summer Nights and Gavin Roach, and in association with Beyond The Yard, Sink is a show about millennials trying to enjoy themselves in spite of the world.
It revolves around various party-goers attending multiple house parties; the conversations they have; and the things they do. It really is much like the real thing – full of drugs, mistakes, regrets, and intoxicated conversations.
The set that greets you features a messy blue streamer hanging loosely from the back wall, with a bench, a toilet, and the titular sink. It establishes the tone nicely; freewheeling enjoyment mingled with dilapidation and regret.
The show’s first problem, kind of (sort of), is that people are often not at their most sympathetic when intoxicated. This can make it difficult for an audience to care about characters who they otherwise don’t know. Personally, it made for an uninspiring first twenty minutes. I understand that this comes with the party setting, but it was a problem for me regardless.
It got better. The show expands upon the characters’ difficult and uncertain relationships to themselves and to each other, as we gradually come to know that secrets are being kept. Here, the set is used to full effect, with characters’ entrances and exits coalescing nicely between different conversations and parties. This gives some good momentum to the story as we move towards the climax, where our questions are given a response, and consequences are faced.
However, I felt that this momentum was still occasionally fractured by a few too many slow reflections, and a bit too much drunk party talk (much like a real party). While this could be endearing at times, I couldn’t help but feel it begin to drag – much like the blue streamer onstage.
I think that you’ll definitely get something out of Sink, because it’s a unique concept and has some interesting things to say, even though at times it seemed too much like a real party to me.
Sink is on at the Blue Room Theatre until February 8th. Tickets are $25 and you can get them here.
Three out of five blue streamers.
Campbell Williamson
Campbell isn’t bitter about those eggs. Stop asking.
Image courtesy of FRINGE WORLD Festival
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