Reviews

Edward Albee was highly prescriptive about how his plays were cast and staged, as was his estate after he died in 2016. And nowhere was this more so than with this famous American all white classic of the 1960’s.

So it’s a happy surprise director Margaret Harvey was able to cast three actors of colour with one Anglo Australian in this State Theatre Company SA update  – adding race to lurk in the gladiatorial epic between the four this one drunken night.

My sister reckons that contemporary plays, especially Australian ones, rarely tell happy love stories. I’ll suggest she go to Triple X for an update on the genre.

This is one of Shakespeare’s earlier works and it provides plenty of opportunity for unbridled silliness and rollicking physical theatre. Glenn Elston has chosen to use the Commedia Dell’Arte box of tricks including stock characters, masks, exaggerated costumes and Punch and Judy slapstick to bring this tale of twins separated early in life to the stage.

If you are in a long-term relationship, the idea of 44 Sex Acts in One Week seems more than a little farfetched. Perhaps a year might be more realistic?

The concept did not deter the opening night crowd, who were noticeably younger than many regular Sydney theatregoers. Perhaps they pondered that they might be up for it.

Originally staged downstairs at Belvoir St, this fruity romcom is a hoot and felt at home on the larger arena-like stage of the York Theatre.