Chase The Feeling
Chase The Feeling is a multi-layered, genre-busting theatre piece that defies easy categorisation or explanation. It’s a poignant coming of age drama, that pulls at the heartstrings without watering down the harsh realities of life… it’s also a critical examination of the nature of theatre as an art form, that presents academic concepts to the audience in a manner that is both accessible and humorous. … and it’s a hard hitting work of social commentary, examining the truth of both public attitudes toward mental illness and political attitudes toward the arts, in a surprisingly balanced and even-handed way that refrains from obvious preaching.
The play focuses on Tahlia (Leeanne Marshall), an autistic teenager who is advised by her social worker (Nicole Allen) to enrol in drama classes in order to help her come out of her shell and hone her abstract thinking skills. Her father (Julian Jaensch) is supportive of his daughter’s involvement in such activities, despite his scepticism as to whether “the system” really has Tahlia’s best interests at heart. As Tahlia grapples with the craft of being creative, and struggles to get her head round both societal conventions and new ways of thinking, Jaenesh and Allen appear onstage as embodiments of her subconscious thoughts, engaging in lively debate and provocative monologues that break the fourth wall to challenge the audience’s preconceived notions.
Jaensch & Allen are versatile enough to pull off the switch between multiple personas without any changes in costume and only a few simple props. They have great flair for physical comedy, which makes them a terrific foil for Marshall’s impeccably timed verbal humour. Marshall plays the dramatic scenes with a raw, unpretentious candour that is deeply affecting.
Though the play takes about 10 minutes to really hit its stride, those willing to be patient with the rather unsteady establishing scenes will be rewarded with a genre-busting marvel that satisfies on many different levels.
Benjamin Orchard
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