One Of These Things First review

As children, many of us had career aspirations that were ultimately abandoned. What if we had gone to medical school and become a doctor, or practised the guitar and become a famous musician, or actually become a billionaire? In One Of These Things First, Hot Lunch make their dream vocations a reality by acting out every single one of them in a fast-paced, 60-minute show that packs as much of a reality-check punch to the gut as it does laughter.

Delta Brooks, Rebekah Carton and Tom Richards are the co-creative directors of Hot Lunch, and this group is an absolute joy to watch. They possess incredible complementary energies, an enthusiastic focus on making each other look good and an uncanny skill in delivering a clear artistic vision even when it seems like they've thrown everything into the bowl. A considerable amount of care has gone into the devising and literal creation of this show, and because of this, they can be fully committed to the wackiness while retaining a strong sense of authenticity.

Sketch, charades, spoken word, singing, dancing and audience participation are just a few of the paths this show takes. In what seems to be a Hot Lunch tradition, a masterly frenetic chaos underpins the production, which is also evident with the number of props that are employed (with some barely getting any stage time). They know exactly how long to stay on one thought and their transition between acts is smooth and carefully planned. Brenton Ryan is kept on his toes as the company's technical designer, with a multitude of sound, lighting and audio-visual cues that he successfully navigates.

But this isn't a mere show-and-tell with flashy distractions. As we go further into these performers' minds, cracks begin to appear, indicating that life can get harder and more complicated the older we get and prevents these dreams from coming true. Hot Lunch displays a great ability to elicit unexpected emotional reactions from their audience while they are in mid-laugh. Richards gives a motivational talk on how a bulging disc led to him spiralling in wanting to be the best in everything he did, and Brooks recollects how her ballerina ambitions remain a cause of anxiety and sadness today. At its most sobering moment, Carton shares a deeply personal longing of becoming a mother. It is a powerful monologue where you could hear a pin drop as we sit there transfixed by her heartbreaking story.

Hot Lunch present an exceptional hour of laughter and reflections on the challenging nature of following your dreams and being the best you can be. One Of These Things First is a mighty reminder that even as adults, we can still achieve these goals but sometimes the smallest achievement is what can have the biggest impact on our life.

One Of These Things First was performed at Kensington Town Hall between 14 - 15 February.

Adelaide Fringe Festival Show Details

Venue: Goodwood Theatre and Studios, 166 Goodwood Road, Goodwood
Season: 20 - 25 February | Weeknights 6pm, Sat 2pm and 6pm
Duration: 55 mins
Tickets: $30 Full | $20 Conc 
Bookings: Adelaide Fringe Festival