by
Peter Webb
at La Mama until October 17, 1999
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
It was only a matter of time before the 90's cyber world
collides with theatre. In Patrick Marber's play, Closer, we see an on-line Sex
Chat Room. In micky.com.au (sic), the protagonist, Mick (Steve Mouzakis) is
trying to create a snuff video project to download onto his personal website
"for everyone."
Mick is not a happy camper. He locks himself into his flat,
resists answering the door or the phone, plays video games and toys with his
computer. He is depressed and almost totally disengaged from his world and his
friends.
"Friends" however, may not be an appropriate word
to describe the young couple who arrive, to niggle, dispute, taunt and tease
him late one night. Simon, an electrician (Tobi Webster) and his girlfriend,
Kat, (Miria Kostiuk) are intrusive, rude and insensitive. In fact, all three
characters are self-indulgent and pretentious with an inflated sense of their
own importance.
They mouth platitudes, spout pedestrian philosophy, compete
with each other to be the most interesting and "out there". They
manage only to be obnoxious and terribly annoying. 20-Something inner-urban
angst is fascinating to other 20-somethings. Anyone beyond that age finds it
predictable and boring.
Webb has written some entertaining dialogue between the three
and director, David Symons has kept the energy high. The most effective – albeit
completely irrelevant – scene is the arrival of Ian, the plumber (Tim Ratcliffe)
to fix the toilet. The dialogue is swift and simple while Ratcliffe's
performance is detailed and hilarious.
Mouzakis rides the emotional roller coaster of Mick's mind,
dealing with his howling, raving and weeping. Kostiuk finds a bubbling and conceited
persona for Kat. Webster has some funny moments but his performance seems out
of control at times.
The more obvious problems arise during the prolonged and
clumsily written monologues which preach some very ill-founded ideas. The final
monologue from Simon is long and anticlimactic.
It is unclear what the writer's intention is in this play.
If the play is an exploration of depression, it is often inaccurate. If it is
an examination of youth alienation and culture, it is shallow. The writer has no
distance from the characters to make them come to life.
by Kate Herbert
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