Closer has just wrapped up their run at La Boîte theatre on 20 April. The show, written by British playwright Patrick Marber, is an exploration of the fickle nature of love in the face of boredom. Courtney Stewart directed the Queensland cast of Anna McGahan, Sophia Emberson-Bain, Kevin Spink and Colin Smith in this stirring dramedy about navigating betrayals by partners, and forbidden desires.
The play follows four strangers and the web that entangles them as they grow closer. Dan, a failed novelist turned obituary writer, takes Alice to the hospital after a run-in with a cab. As a flirtation sparks between the two and Alice shares her vagabonding ways, dermatologist Larry passes through for a fleeting inspection of Alice’s injuries.
A year passes and Dan is about to publish a book he wrote about Alice and her past as a stripper. While getting headshots for his book, we are introduced to our fourth stranger, Anna, a photographer who doesn’t steal. We then follow these four along in the consuming chaos of their love and lies.
WHAT DID GLASS THINK?
The first thing that stood out was the staging and set design. Set and costume designer M’ck McKeague and lighting designer Glenn Hughes have put together eye-catching sets that flow from scene to scene. The modular pink glass sets glowed in blue lighting, blanketing the audience in intimate allure. This, paired with the sound of your comfiest lingerie from sound designer and composer Wil Hughes, made for seamless transitions from affair to affair.
The script – although written in 1997 – felt relevant and still turned the high beams on wandering eyes and hands. One memorable scene was particularly TIT-illating and made the crowd chortle in discomfort. It depicted a sexual chatroom exchange of olde that left no bawdy phrase unused and no euphemism for dicks left unsaid. It left the audience desperate to cackle through the cringe.
The cast were stirring in their performance and pulled us through the twisted intentions for infidelity.
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La Boîte has an exciting 2024 season in store for the Kelvin Grove community. You can find out about all their upcoming events at laboite.com.au/shows
DISCLOSURE: Glass was gifted free tickets by La Boite.
