This is a play and it is so many plays and it is performance art and it is awesome! From the moment I entered The Basement, I was greeted by friendly young things looking for a good time. I was soon taken under the wing of a popular girl dressed as an ancient Mayan, and she convinced me to take my pants off on the dance floor...maybe that's giving too much away, but the great thing about this work of art is that everyone will have a unique experience. That was mine, and it almost certainly won't be yours.
The premise is a simple one; a shock death has occurred at a local high school and tonight the friends and peers of the deceased are partying at the "cancelled" afterball. The Basement provides the venue of a megaparty, utilising every part of the grounds to create a tour of the many sub-parties, and the audience are absorbed as fellow revelers - sometimes part of the action, sometimes flies on the wall but never far from the high dramas of youth gone wild.
I enjoyed myself like I was at a party, so infectious was the energy of the young cast. I was reminded how fun it was to be a teenager. Wow. I never used to buy into that "high school is the best years of your life" stuff, but this show has made me analyse that anew.
Basically, the experience is like no other, and I loved how the many stories interweave and are each given their moment in the spotlight. But even as a straight play, this would be a strong piece! The story is truly moving and a little disturbing. It is so true to life that I recognised many of my schoolmates in the characters drawn for us. While the acting is mixed, there are some very powerful performances here and overall it bodes well for the future of theatre in Auckland.
See this for an all-consuming experience that will rejuvenate you if you let it. Just wow.
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