Marginalia review | fortyfivedownstairs

There are few things more absurd than a man discovering that his nose has left his face, taken on a life of its own and somehow become more socially important than he is. Yet Marginalia manages to make Nikolai Gogol's The Nose seem almost restrained. Pummel Squad's wildly inventive adaptation takes the story and throws it into a blender, transforming its inherent ridiculousness into something visually extravagant, manic, and unruly.

The production wastes little time establishing its unique rhythm. Tyler, a barber, spends the entirety of Fatboy Slim's "Right Here, Right Now" running in circles around the stage, completely committed and visibly present. When the music stops, he turns to the audience and speaks about the tension between his career as a hairdresser and his passion for art, clearly setting the tone for what is about to unfold.

From there, Marginalia establishes a world where violence, bureaucracy and irrationality coexist. A masked attack on a clown is followed by the disappearance of a government official's nose, with both events treated with gleeful disregard for conventional logic. Even its darkest moments are played for laughs, creating a tonal landscape in which anything can happen, yet somehow everything makes sense according to the peculiar rules of this universe.

The entire ensemble operates at full throttle as they throw themselves into the heightened style, using deliberate physicality, accents and sharply defined mannerisms to amplify the comedy. Cooper Donald McDonald impresses as Major Pepsi, whose increasingly desperate mission to recover his nose leads him to extreme measures and some wonderfully ridiculous situations. Ludomyr Kemp-Mykyta is terrific as the barber who finds himself in possession of the nose, setting off a series of brutal consequences for him.

The rest of the cast are likewise exceptional, taking on multiple roles while giving each their own identity. Despite her relatively brief stage time, Molly Holohan makes an impression as The Great Clowno, wringing every possible laugh. Alexandra Aldrich is a scene-stealer as Mommy, with her expressive face and precise physical choices, and is equally memorable as a priest overseeing Clowno's funeral. AYA and Harry McGee are outstanding across their various parts, bringing sharp comic instincts and distinct characterisations to each. They have a knack for making fleeting appearances stick with us, while ensuring that everyone belongs to the same outlandish and carefully crafted universe.

It is astonishing what Savanna Wegman has done to fortyfivedownstairs. Regal red, purple and green curtains frame the stage, while set pieces mounted on whiteboards, supermarket trolleys and office chairs create an environment that feels haphazardly assembled yet meticulously designed. Posters and graffiti covered columns add a dystopian edge, while a backdrop of looming buildings at night evokes an ominous sense of an unwelcoming city.

Her costume designs are also wondrously eye-catching, with wigs, makeup and outfits heightening the exaggerated qualities of the city’s residents and adding another layer of visual humour. Particular highlights are the cardigan ensemble worn by the woman over 65, and Mommy's elaborate wig and dress.

Amelia Lever-Davidson's lighting design cleverly reshapes the space, including using side and back lighting, bursts of colour and areas of darkness to distinguish the different locations Major Pepsi encounters in his search for his nose. Justin Gardam's sound design works alongside it to establish tone and mood, helping shift the narrative between its comic, grotesque, and unsettling scenes.

Katy Maudlin's direction is perhaps the production's greatest achievement. With so much happening at once, Marginalia could easily collapse under the weight of its ideas and comic excesses, yet Maudlin gives the chaos a clear shape. The work is erratic without feeling uncontrolled, constantly surprising while remaining coherent, and its rapid shifts between characters, locations and styles never lose the audience. Within the apparent disorder lies a remarkable structure, allowing the work to be as strange and unruly as it wants.

Behind the comedy, Marginalia has a sharper interest in power, vanity and the humiliating machinery of bureaucracy. Major Pepsi's attempt to reclaim his nose sends him through a maze of institutions that seem incapable of offering anything resembling help, while those in positions of authority remain largely insulated from the circumstances faced by those beneath them. The barber's treatment is particularly telling, his misfortune becoming irrelevant beside Pepsi's obsession with recovering what he has lost. In adapting Gogol's satire, Pummel Squad retain its fascination with status and self-importance while translating its societal absurdity into a contemporary world that feels uncomfortably recognisable.

SHOW DETAILS

Venue: fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Season: until 16 Aug | Tues - Sat 7:30pm, Sun 5pm
Duration: 80 minutes

Tickets: $50 Full | $40 Concession
Bookings: fortyfivedownstairs

Image credit: Nick Robertson