The Piano Thief, written and directed by Gareth Ellis, is a short play of about thirty minutes about two friends who decide to rob a house. One of the duo is assigned to stake out the place, only to admit to falling asleep on the job. The plot lends itself to some good comical dialogue, with great delivery and chemistry between the two mates who are stumbling through their daily lives. Once one of the pair gets an epiphany the play goes a wee bit pear shaped.
The Receivers, written by Gareth Ellis and directed by Amanda Falson, is billed as an absurd, dark, sci-fi comedy about a farmer called Hendrick who is having no success growing his crops. His life is interrupted by an array of characters who seem designed to waken him from his slumber and have him question his tack, although we only get snippets of this in the last twenty minutes of the play. There are too many ‘irons in the fire’, and this approach ultimately excludes the audience.
The Old 505 Theatre Surry Hills until 23 August 2015.
NICNATPAT 