Amusing yet thought-provoking piece

SETTING: Audience-friendly Cafe was a hit at the Dry Dock Cafe.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Cafe — Tauranga Arts Festival. Reviewed by Michele Hunter

After enjoying Hotel and Salon at previous Tauranga Arts Festivals, I had high hopes for Cafe - the third in a series of plays produced by Site-Specific Theatre.

Co-written by Paul McLaughlin and former Tauranga Girls' College student Rachel Callinan, the show was entertaining and amusing with thought-provoking messages hidden behind the light-hearted banter between staff and customers in a busy cafe.

The setting at Dry Dock Cafe proved audience-friendly, offering a much more realistic experience than a cafe set in a theatre would have.

Best performance went to Neenah Dekkers-Reihana who played the passionate role of suffocated young mum "Anita" with insight and depth.

Despite the casual cafe setting, the play offers a real insight into the challenges humans face in a bid to fit in and find happiness in everyday life.

The one hour duration is enough time to get into the plot, get to know the characters and have a laugh without getting uncomfy in your seat.

The fact the show was written by New Zealanders was evident in the way the audience connected with the stories and challenges faced by cafe staff and customers.

Overall a great piece of writing brought to life in an entertaining show that received a hearty applause from the intimate audience.

Let's hope for future instalments from Site-Specific Theatre.