KEY POINTS:
Catalyst Theatre Company's energetic new Kiwi play A City of Souls seems to have cracked the right combination of youthful enthusiasm and professional polish.
Devised youth theatre can be groan-inducing in its naivete, but this show succeeds by not trying to be anything other than what it is - a fresh blast about being a 20-something in New Zealand and realising that even the best parties have to end.
The show is the brainchild of six Unitec acting graduates who have written, directed and acted in the piece. Helping them have been industry professionals including Cameron Rhodes, Robyn Davies and Graham Dunster, and representatives from The Edge and the Murray Hutchinson Creative Trust.
It has been a year in the making, and the professional assistance and the time taken to create the show come through in the quality of the final product. You feel that you are hearing an authentic and young voice that has been polished up a little but is still raw and fresh.
A City of Souls has snappy dialogue and some easily recognisable characters, but what sets it apart from other youth offerings is scatological humour and honesty about the habits and hopes of its generation. Parents squeamish about sex, drugs and drums'n'bass should probably stay away, but others will find plenty to enjoy.
The script hangs together well and has some great one-liners, although it's not as original as it could be and the suicide and rape storylines seem a little tacked on and underdone. But I do admire the writers' reluctance to offer easy explanations for complex issues and their striving to capture a young, urban voice.
With five strong performances and a very democratic script that gives all performers a chance to shine it's hard to single anyone out for special praise.
Sam Berkley and Ora Simpson give sensitive portrayals of two off-beat brothers who are just as vulnerable as they are angry. Jonathan Hodge humanises his odious player and it's nice to see Ben Van Lier discover the steel in his nice-guy leading man. As the only woman in the cast, Hayley Dallimore could have been overshadowed but she holds her own and finds a nice balance in one of the show's blackest moments.
Lighting designer Kate Burton has done a lovely job and one of the highlights is the party scene with its blue acid trip haze.
Amber Rixon's costumes work well for the 20-something characters but Zoe Crammond's set design is a little less successful.
The unpainted risers are fine but the sail cloth background doesn't do anything practical or aesthetic.
Rough bits aside, this is a fun night out and it will be good to see what Catalyst Theatre do next.
