Wink

Jen Silverman’s script shows how wonderful the sharp and ludicrous can be. Wink follows an unhappy married couple, Gregor (Graeme McRae) and Sofie (Eloise Snape), their psychologist (Matthew Cheetham), and the fate of Sofie’s cat Wink (Sam O’Sullivan). Yes, the cat is played by a person, and yes, it is one of the most fabulous characters.

Anthony Skuse’s direction of this Australian premiere begins with Gregor on a couch. Off stage, his wife Sofie is learning the violin. She is a beginner. Her repeated, discordant sounds are grating. To drown them out, Gregor flicks on some music: Enya’s Orinoco Flow (Sail Away). A hilarious new discordance is created. 

This is Silverman’s great talent in Wink. She takes the audience aboard and sails away from conventional plot lines, characters, expectation and narrative. What could be a chaotic and nonsensical symphony turns into a tight, focused piece of theatre, thanks to Skuse's confidence in the absurd notions of Silverman's script. 

Each actor’s commitment to the stakes are the most enjoyable part of the performance. Sam O’Sullivan’s Wink is threatening and graceful. He makes savagery alluring, and the idea of living life tenuously a real temptation. Eloise Snape’s Sofie is every bit the housewife fantasising for more, every bit a person beleaguered by real-world frustrations. Cheetham looks perfect as the stoic, tightly wound psychologist. While great to watch, his performance can become over-egged when he attempts to emphasise high stakes moments. Conversely, he glows when he's comfortable in his character's stiffness. Graeme McRae has a difficult job of making the essential villain likeable, and getting the audience to sympathise with his journey. He does it with style. We’re there with him the whole time. 

Ben Pierpoint’s sound was entertaining and significant. Siobhan O’Hanlon’s set started as the epitome of civilisation and carefully trod the path to savagery. 

Wink will make you laugh and make you think, but more importantly, it’s zany and grabbing, and is some of the most unique writing you can see on a Sydney stage.