Type: Fringe Theatre, Spoken Word, Poetry
If You Liked: Wright and Grainger, Worst Of Us, Holding The Man
As you enter and descend into Qtopia’s Substation, writer and performer Tom Robins is already sitting and observing. That normally would strike a chord of unease, but Robins has an aura of calm about them, and from that moment through until the end of the performance, that’s how the space stays.
We meet Oz, Robins’ orange-gloved hand, and Harry, the blue-gloved left hand, as they form an unlikely relationship which hovers somewhere between a Boston marriage and a passionate month-long affair. Nothing about the characters’ relationship feels gratuitous or barnyard. Rather, it sits comfortably in the complexity of adult relationships. The beauty of this piece lies in its rarity and intricacies, and while Oz is the younger (at 30) of the pair, their maturity and unique perspectives on queer community and history complement Harry’s elder world view beautifully.
Robins is a masterful wordsmith, and equally engaging as a performer. With no set and nominal lighting, the lush and exotic world of Harry’s backyard botanical garden is vivid and abundant. Even when describing and emulating the more intimate moments of the pair’s relationship, nothing feels voyeuristic. Exploring themes such as lavender marriages, sexual awakenings, and contemporary online dating (the apps, and such), the piece says a great deal in its fringe-length runtime. It’s succinct and never treats the audience as infantile.
Robins is becoming a staple of the Adelaide Fringe, and it’s easy to see why. With his other work The Art Of Storm Whistling also appearing as part of Pride Fest, it’s wonderful to see new and exciting voices in contemporary queer storytelling appearing in a venue right in the heart of Australia’s LGBTQIA+ advocacy heartland.
Be sure to check this, and any of Robins’ other works, out when they’re in a venue near you.
