The Defence

25 February 2015 | 10:51 am | Thomas Munday

"This, unquestionably, is one of Fringe’s biggest surprises and an unforgettable theatrical vision."

If you are only able to see one of Fringe World 2015’s 500 events, The Blue Room Theatre Summer Nights and Baste The Bagel’s The Defence makes a helluva case.

The story revolves around renowned playwright August Strindberg. Strindberg longs for power, convinced abusing his hysterical wife is key. Suddenly, the lights kick up and a commanding force comes out from the crowd - we realise, as he asserts his directorial prowess regarding Strindberg’s The Defence of A Fool, we have been hurled into a behind-the-scenes, Birdman-esque dissection of the Australian theatre industry.
Our three lead characters, switching genders and ideologies unexpectedly, soon fall into an explosive tug-of-war over authoritative vision, identity crises, and the rawness of live performance. Its actors – Catherine McNamara, Brett Johnson, and Douglas Niebling – throw everything at their bare-all roles. The production’s out-there twists and turns add to this play-within-a-play’s darkly satirical bite. This, unquestionably, is one of Fringe’s biggest surprises and an unforgettable theatrical vision.

The Blue Room Theatre, Perth Cultural Centre (finished)

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