The Book Of Loco

2001 was not a very good year for Venezuelan born Australian citizen, Alirio Zavarce – within the space of a few months, his long-time girlfriend dumped him, his mother died of cancer and the 9/11 terrorist attacks spawned a culture of paranoia in which immigrants were regarded with suspicion. Pushed to the edge of a nervous breakdown by these experiences, Zavarce still managed to find some hope for the betterment of humanity, and in this one-man-show he reflects on both the stages in the grieving process and the ways in which society rationalises acts which are irrational – such as war, racism, homophobia, religious mania and manipulation of market values through advertising.

This could easily have wound up as a preachy, maudlin exercise, but Zavarce’s observations on the absurdities of the human condition and the illogical nature of various social constructs are presented in an amiably humorous fashion, punctuated by various surreal video montages conceived by Chris More, which are projected onto a surprisingly versatile set, constructed entirely out of cardboard boxes. Zavarce has bemused everyman charm to spare, and invests his monologue with equal parts bold physicality and eloquent oratory, establishing a strong rapport with the audience very early on in the proceedings.

Those of a conservative political bent may be offended by the way in which Zavarce lampoons their deeply held beliefs, such as opposition to marriage equality, which is one of many modes of thought he dismisses as “rational madness” - which is to say, an illogical position that is rationalised by fancy, feaux-intellectual rhetoric, that lends the unreasonable an aura of social respectability. Others may be disappointed by the show’s relative brevity, at 70 minutes, Zavarce only has time to scratch the surface of many contentious issues that an expanded version of this show could’ve explored in more depth.

Still, overall, this remains a powerfully thought provoking and witty evening’s entertainment that is likely to encourage some very interesting, spirited conversations over drinks afterwards…

Benjamin Orchard