Disgust review

A man and a woman spend their evening discussing the dinner party they have attended. It's a banal conversation about who was wearing what socks and who ate the cake. However, in Kat Moritz's Disgust, these conversations open up to fantasy worlds and scenarios, uniting this couple and signifying the love that is shared between them.

Reminiscent of Harold Pinter's work, Moritz plays with silences throughout the production, specifying in the writers notes of the program that "lines should only be spoken when the actors feel compelled to speak them". In doing so, when words are spoken, they seep into our minds and let us focus on how this relationship between the two characters is being presented.

Eryn Kimberley's direction highlights the intensity of this relationship as she creates near mirror image reflections of Em and Billy (Michelle Robertson and Monty Burgess), as they sit cross-legged or by the way they lie on the ground. Their almost matching outfits of blue shirts and grey trousers pushes this feeling of togetherness and connectedness, with Robertson and Burgess' nuanced performances displaying a fine balance of openness and vulnerability. 

The stage is bare except for a small square shaped platform in which Robertson and Burgess perform on, allowing the characters to be cocooned in their own "disgusting" world and creating a deeper intimacy in their interactions. The lighting design by Brendan McDougall literally shines the spotlight on Em and Billy's relationship and with no sound design in the show, there is a sense of their world being impenetrable from outside influences.

While there isn't much that happens in Disgust, the audience is given the opportunity to listen to the silences and draw something meaningful from them. Through the mundane and the ordinary presented here, we are able to observe a boringly honest, but insightful conversation that only two people in love can share. 

Venue: Trades Hall, Corner of Lygon and Victoria Street
Season: until 2 September | Wed, Fri 6:30pm, Thu, Sat - Sun 6:30pm 
Tickets: $30 Full | $20 Conc 
Bookings: La Mama Theatre

Image Credit: Pier Carthew