There was a time when garage sales were the pinnacle of suburban culture; a chance to rummage through a stranger’s junk and haggle over their long-forgotten treasures. Not much has changed. In Garage Sale, we meet Denise and her husband Greg as they are forced to downsize into retirement accommodation and put their past up for sale. But this past is a lot darker and shadier than you would be led to believe.
Alanah Parkin has stocked this garage sale with a delightful assortment of relics: old clothes, a stack of VHS tapes, and a box of doilies, to name a few. But the real magic lies in the characters she brings to life - some quite literally. Beneath the breezy backyard gossip and borrowed cups of sugar in Narre Warren South, there is also something peculiar happening. Why haven’t Denise and Greg spoken to their daughters in 17 years, and what’s with Greg’s unsettling obsession with Christina Aguilera? Parkin expertly weaves tension into the comedy with a playful, offbeat charm.
As a solo performer juggling multiple characters, Parkin's finds the essence of these odd ducks and appears very much at ease with all of them. This may be a one-person show, but they find imaginative ways of having these people interact rather than having them talked about by others. Pre-recorded audio conversations play between characters in "real time", as Parkin is backstage changing costumes. This is initially clever, but the frequent reliance on this approach loses its novelty over time. During one changeover, they play a video recording on the TV, which helps keep the momentum and the audience engaged, so perhaps more variety in these transitions would be beneficial to this production.Garage Sale is a finely tuned blend of sketch comedy and scripted work, turning an ordinary suburban sale into a hilariously surreal adventure. There are wonderful bursts of absurd energy here, and with a bit of refinement in its character shifts, Parkin’s debut solo show has the potential to leave an even bigger ripple in the fabric of reality.
Show Details
Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton Melbourne, 270 Flinders St, Melbourne
Season: until 6 April | 8:45pm
Duration: 50 minutes
Tickets: $31 Full | $27 Concession
Bookings: Melbourne International Comedy Festival
this is the best act I've seen this year. Superb blend of character acting, story, tech.... etc.. Funny as hell. It's got everything. see it before it ends.
ReplyDelete