It was my first attendance to the Brisbane Powerhouse's Turbine Studio, a small intimate theatre that is well suited to a one person show like Random presented by Real TV which is a Melbourne based company.
Random is written in a poetic prose style by debbie tucker green who writes her name with all lower case letters. It is set in the city of London, but it could be set in almost any city. The play tells story of a day in the life of an average suburban family of four who's lives are turned upside down when a random act of violence hits their teenage son with tragic consequences. Each family member reacts in their own way as they struggle to accept the devastating news. I was unfamiliar with some words of the text which also had its own rhythm and pace. It took me a little while to tune into the natural flow of the language.
The solo performance by Zahra Newman was outstanding as she effortlessly changed roles, in turn playing the adult daughter, the teenage son, the mother and the father. She did this with gestures, body movements and voice. Zahra's ability to change roles quickly was superbly demonstrated in one scene with a rapid fire exchange of words between mother and daughter. Tanja Beer's set design of wire framed rectangular towers of varying heights scattered around the stage evoked images of city skyscrapers that complemented the script well. The production team have presented a show that would be the highlight of any festival and is definitely the highlight at this year's (2011) World Theatre Festival.
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