The Award winning production trio that makes up Rogue Projects has something new up their sleeve this year with a production presented at one of my favorite little venues, Flight Path Theatre. Kasia Vickery’s Taz Vs. The Pleb is a new production aimed at audiences 14 years and up and is full of far-out ideas, chuckle-worthy antics and set of messages which are pertinent and anything but preachy (much to my thanks and much to its good taste.)
Fun, Intelligent and Well-rounded, but Taz Vs. The Pleb is above all else Charming. Not charming in that coded and condescending way some critics may use the word, but I was absolutely genuinely charmed by its brand of humour, its stagecraft, its communication of purpose and meaning, as well as its performers. Kasia Vickery’s script is sound and original and while the piece was presented as only 60 minutes in length it certainly has room to grow and expand upon it’s ideas, gags and characters.
Taz vs. The Pleb follows two 16 year-old misfits and best friends Taz and Shontelle as they go about scheming to steal all the postal votes from their town of Turneybull during the 2017 same sex marriage plebicite. It’s parody of heist/action adventure sings out triumphantly with the voices of queer youth as they vie to influence their future and be heard.
Performances from Natali Caro, Jack Mainsbridge, Lou McInnes and Sophie Strykowski make up the vast array of townsfolk of Turneybull which preaches to their versatility, comedic stylings, joyous energy and understanding of form and context. The production’s direction and stagecraft was carried out with care, precision and an air of overall excitement and fun by these young actors.
While it may be said that the 2nd half of the evening did suffer from very short scenes and a large number of transitions which equalled them in length, this work in its current stage I am sure will evolve to tighten its loose ends and round off its occasional edges in its assuredly bright future.
Kate Beere’s production design was effective, effervescent and well suited to the high energy mood of the production. This, in companion with lighting design by Thomas Doyle and well measured, original and exciting sound design and compositions from Scott Sohrab Majidi framed the action of the evening in a way uniform with the callings of the text.
Vickery’s direction felt wonderfully unified, techniques and conventions used by Vickery were dynamic and exciting, full of little surprises. It may also be said that a stand-out of the evening was the highly stylized ‘Heisting Montage’ which was executed with fervor and a bubbling excitement.
Tas vs. The Pleb plays at Flight Path Theatre until the 19th of this month, it is the perfect outing for those who crave new, young and fresh independent theatre. Tickets can be found here >> https://www.flightpaththeatre.org/whats-on/taz-vs-the-pleb
Images by Noni Carroll Photography.