THEATRE REVIEW: "DAY (AFTER DAY) IN THE LIFE OF THE USELESS IS A GOOD DAY AT THE THEATRE
The rule of threes is a popular superstition that unfortunate events often strike thrice. Be it pattern recognition or otherworldly directive, more often than nought this unholy trifecta holds true. There is no designated duration between these events, they could be minutes by minute, year by year, or day after day…
Day (After Day) in the Life of the Useless follows Pete, a dumped, dreary common-man whose average life unravels into a farce as bad luck and worse decisions drag him into destitution.
Kinetic, compulsive and utterly compelling: Day (After Day) In The Life of the Useless is a hilarious and absorbing play which unravels in 45 bite-sized chapters bolstered by interludes of eclectic jazz moving at break-neck speeds.
Writer/star Will O'Mahoney is luminous with creative sparks, writing exceptional dialogue and delivering it with similar aplomb. O'Mahoney himself scarcely ever leaves the stage as calamities ensue. The stage itself is sparsely filled yet easy on the eye and eager on the imagination. Roved to and fro by a slew of peculiar characters all portrayed with vigour and class by the exceptional supporting cast.
Bad things may come in threes, but good things must come in fours: Tess Bowers, Steve Le Marquand, Nathaniel Langworthy and Catherine Moore make up the exceptional supporting cast; each portraying several unforgettable characters who Pete meets, fights, maims and makes love with along his odyssey. Steve Le Marquand is a special standout - phenomenal as a hapless psychiatrist, then somehow superior as an avian-named thug; erstwhile, as genres kaleidoscope, Tess Bowers commands the stage in a haunting stand-up set.
Director Adam Mitchell keeps Day (After Day) kinetic and compulsive; genres jump, dance and entwine amidst the fistfights, first dates, and suicidal ideations; scenes bleed seamlessly into one and other amongst Fiona Bruce's fantastic set, which fills the Black Swan Theatre's stage with limitless potential.
Whilst a late-play change in tone may stifle your laughter on the walk out of the theatre, Day (After Day) in the Life of the Useless remains a hilarious comedy-of-errors bolstered by incredible writing, endeared performances, and a kaleidoscopic sense of chaos.
4.5 / 5
Day (After Day) In The Life Of The Useless is running at the Heath Ledger Theatre until September 20th.
