GOODBYE JAMIE BOYD
Monkey Baa is a young, vibrant theatre company specialising in theatre for children and this is one of their first forays into the darker world of adolescent drama. It tells the story of Anna Boyd (played by Gemma Yates), a marijuana-abusing schizophrenic who has delusional visions of her dead brother Jamie. However, as a teenager from the target age group, I believe I am better suited than most to say that for me, the promise of the production was never fully realised. Through its over reliance on production elements as well as not feeling convinced by the character of Anna, the production showed that Monkey Baa has not yet made the transition to an older audience. The copious video sequences and the glaring lighting design which would fill a younger audience with awe left this teenager underwhelmed. In addition to this, Ms Yates in this reviewer’s opinion, has not yet made the shift herself between acting for a younger audience and for a more discerning older one. As an informative exposé on the issues it deals with, Goodbye Jamie Boyd is an hour well spent. As a piece of theatre, it left me wanting more.
Written by Cian Galea
Until Aug 14, various locations, $18-25, 1300 131 555, monkeybaa.com.au
