The Confidence Man

The Confidence Man, created by Perth's Side Pony Productions, sits just on the cusp of being a phenomenal independent theatre show. It's a complex piece to explain, but basically it's an immersive crime thriller in which six audience members are enlisted to act. Everyone – these 'actors' and their audience – wears headphones, which play pre-recorded monologues, dialogue, stage directions and background music for each character. Each audience member controls which character's audio channel they listen to and when. A house floor plan is marked out in the large space. It's furnished but without walls, so that from wherever you sit on the edge of the central playing area you have a good view. A simple thriller narrative develops and eventually weaves the stories of all six characters together. It's a real moment of delight to realise you're listening to one character while other audience members are listening to the simultaneously lived journey of another. The voice tracks are beautifully acted and there's a bit of Jane Austen about the writing, which gets surprisingly and pleasingly lyrical at times. Writer Zoe Pepper shows great versatility, working assuredly between tight and dramatic narrative revelation, compellingly realistic dialogue, internal monologue and whimsy. The story is brilliantly structured. You can rely on the fact that you're guaranteed to not miss key plot points and relax into the beautifully articulated idiosyncrasies of each character. While a second act and a lift in the stakes would have made this show next level, The Confidence Man is an adorable, engaging and technically impressive piece.