The Love Wrangler lacks warmth

By SUSAN BUDD

CONCERT CHAMBER, Auckland - It is 2031 and the Apocalypse is nigh. Squatters live in semi-submerged office blocks, and boats navigate Queen St. In Birchington Court, a crumbling old apartment building, live a group of people, all searching for, or trying to escape from, love.

And Love, in the form of a young guy with an infectious grin, arrives to change their lives. Love's enemy is a mad scientist, Cynthia, whose invention, the love wrangler, is a geiger counter to detect the life-changing emotion.

Playwright Ryan McFadyen depicts a range of quirky characters, all played enthusiastically by actors from Sam Scott and Carla Martell's Aotearoa Young People's Theatre.

Beautiful Parker has, in his search for perfection, hardly a natural organ in his body. Only his love for Anna ruptures his narcissism. A princess in a tower, she believes herself to be a reincarnation of Anne Boleyn.

In his turn, Jake is drawn against his will to Parker, despite his relationship with dancer Sophie. And old Bertram searches for someone to talk to.

The play starts with a hiss and a roar as all the characters are quickly and strongly established, but falls away on its journey to the end of the world. One reason is the big, white space of the Concert Chamber, where each stands in isolation.

Despite Bryan Caldwell's beautiful, watery lighting, it is as chilly as an operating theatre, evoking none of the mess of people's lives. So much of the writing is monologue that the actors have difficulty in interacting.

Lacking experience, they tend to emote in a stagey and unconvincing style.

Only Marcus Kingi in the role of Love is exempt both because he performs as a link and has great charm and warmth.