Theatre Review: See You next Tuesday is an empathetic portrayal of teenage life
Static Drive Co’s See You Next Tuesday stood out to me as an intriguing concept when the Blue Room launched their 2019 season earlier in the year, and I am pleased to report it delivered on its potential. It is as much of a hormonal rollercoaster as being a teenager is. It explores the highs and lows of teenage romance with no judgement and full empathy.
The play explores the trials of 17-year-old protagonist Evie as she navigates the confusing world of hook-ups and relationships while juggling school and a complicated relationship with her family. Ramiah Alcantara, Caitlin McFeat and Tess Metcalf embody Evie and voice her conflicting internal monologue, at times speaking in turn and frequently speaking over each other. This stylistic decision perfectly encapsulates the complicated and confusing nature of a teenager’s mind (or really anyone’s). Their performance confronts the somewhat-awkward themes and events head-on and delivers a barrel of laughs throughout.
The excellent performances are complimented by a dynamic script and interspersed with captivating music from Perth artist Umairah Murtaza (Sakidasumi) in scene transitions. Sam Nerida is an emerging playwright that demonstrates enormous potential with this script. If I were to nit-pick, the only quarrel I had was that the play occasionally tried a bit too hard to hit the “teenager speak” mark. However, the character development in this play is truly one-of-a-kind, such that you could fully expect to run into Evie as you exit the theatre.
See You Next Tuesday invites audiences to engage with a well-developed and well-performed character and relate to her experiences. Sure, not everyone has as high a libido as Evie, but when you laugh along to her successes and failures, you’re as much laughing at yourself.
