Good Cook. Friendly. Clean. By Brooke Robinson is an overdue response to the housing crisis facing Sydneysiders and, perhaps, even city-dwellers worldwide. The premise is simple – Sandra (played by Tara Morice) is a woman in her 50s who has been asked to leave her current share-house with the minimum amount of notice given – two weeks. What follows is an increasingly nightmarish rollercoaster of share-house interviews, and desperation. To top it all off, Sandra is sick, so not only do we get to see the mental toll this rigmarole claims upon her, but a physical one as well.
Robinson’s Griffin debut is a beautifully timed and beautifully written drama. With snappy dialogue and quick character changes – delivered deftly by Fayssal Bazzi & Kelly Paterniti – Robinson and Potts use humour to highlight the absurdity of the situation. As the light-heartedness starts to merge into stark reality, the production is still at such a cracking pace, it doesn’t know how to stop. Here I felt there was some missed opportunity to hang in the awkwardness of the situation, or indeed, to experience what the protagonist has been gifted all along – the powerlessness of waiting. This may eventuate later in the season, and I hope it does.
The design of the show is a tribute to Liertz, Berlage and Edmonson, as well as Potts, who no doubt commands a tight and focused production. All these elements blend well together to deliver a show that is both entertaining and disturbing. The final monologue, delivered with a fierce strength by Morice, is a harrowing account of what it’s like to be left behind by society. Hats off to Robinson and Potts for not mollycoddling the audience by trying to paint the situation other than it is – dire.
Felicity Nicol – Theatre Now
Good Cook. Friendly. Clean
BROOKE ROBINSON
4th May-16th June
Preview 4 – 8 May
Opening Nights 9 & 10 May
Performance Times
Monday – Friday 7pm
Saturday 2pm & 7pm
Wednesday 6 June 2pm & 7pm
Meet The Artists Tuesday 22 May
Captioned Performance Tuesday 5 June
Venue: Griffin Theatre
Theatre Company:
Duration:
