THEATRE: ONCE AND FOR ALL WE’RE GONNA TELL YOU WHO WE ARE SO SHUT UP AND LISTEN

A frenetic blur of colour, noise and movement, Once and For All We’re Gonna Tell You Who We Are so Shut Up and Listen is more an exercise in controlled chaos than a theatre piece. The blood, sweat and tears of 13 Flemish teenagers (ranging in ages from 14 to 18) are all thrown into this celebration of adolescence. With no real narrative, the production consists of a mess of activities performed by the cast – repeated over and over again in different styles (one repetition is a lusty romp, aided by Jose Gonzalez’s Heartbeats; another is a drug-fuelled breakdown, which sees some cast bawling, some stripping and some bleeding).The sheer energy that emanates off the stage is the most striking thing about the production and despite the repetitive structure – and the amount of times the players have performed it (over 100) – it felt impromptu and arrestingly fresh. Bursting with life, these gorgeous and precociously charming young adults will transport you back to your own adolescence. Just be careful not to take the ride too seriously – as this reviewer may have done, running riot after the show and covering her stockings (and her companion’s face) in the chalk provided by the STC. Raw and genuine, the whole experience of Once and For All is a real treat.

Aug 14-29, Wharf 2, Sydney Theatre Company, Pier 4 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay, $30-50, 9250 1777 or sydneytheatre.com.au

BY LUCY HILL