Diving into life’s emotions
Pool (No Water) is one of the first plays to sprout from the showbiz garden this spring and it’s somewhat different from the traditional dramas that blossom -” think of a competitive gang of art graduates, skinny dipping … and a coma.
The play is based around a famous artist who invites long-standing friends back to her swish home for a reunion. They stir up a string of old emotions and jealousy until, eventually, fragility and resentment start to dominate the gathering.
Anthony Skuse is far from being your typical director, something that comes across clearly as the production unfolds.
He said Pool (No Water) is about the community in the way it is full of drama and contradiction.
The play casts lots of shadows and must resonate with anyone who has a friend and it’s about the family people choose, he said.
A gay audience might recognise these people as part of a subculture that at times feels itself to be invisible and under-valued.
The emotional life of the piece is raw and honest while the form is sophisticated. The emotions are so human -” grief, envy and disappointment. You would have to be from the moon not to recognise some part of yourself in the piece.
The play opens at the Darlinghurst Theatre tonight, 4 September, and runs for three weeks.
info: Tickets start at $25. Bookings on 8356 9987 or check out www.darlinghursttheatre.com.
