TRAPS: a romantic comedy for the modern sociopath review | Melbourne Fringe Festival | Arts House

Polly is a 400kg salt-water crocodile who loves to feed on cats and other small animals, and at the local veterinary clinic she has an abundance of small creatures at her disposal. But this isn't Polly's story. It's Joe's, the owner of the clinic but his assistant Stephanie will have you thinking it's hers. But then, maybe it's Julia's, the woman with a strong dislike for rats? One thing is for certain, it isn't the narrator's story. And so begins Amelia Evan's surreal TRAPS: A Romantic Comedy for the Modern Sociopath. 

The ensemble do exceptionally well with their characters and the material, where even though this is an absurdist play, they make it feel like this is the real deal. Marissa O'Reilly displays equal sensitivity and determination as the agitated veterinarian assistant Stephanie, and Charles Purcell is just as captivating as Julia, who becomes the unexpected owner of a chihuahua that won't stop arfing. Tom Dent as the narrator with no backstory or name is charismatic throughout with his futile attempts at becoming part of the story and Rachel Perks is simply marvellous as Joe, the vegetarian veterinarian psychopath who is in dire need of checking his male privilege.

Evans has written and directed a light-heartedly dark love story that raises a number of questions around oppression, domestic violence and feminism. While the plot is obviously far-fetched with fantastical characters, there is grounding in the work where Evans never loses sight of the issues she is bringing attention to. The gender-swapping roles of the actors playing Julie and Joe further add to this and it will be interesting to see how this changes - if at all - when Paul Blenheim steps into the role of Joe from Tuesday 26 September.

#FirstWorldWhiteGirls review

It's been two years since Melbourne was graced with the presence of Tiffany and Kendall, two affluent white girls who have some major problems to deal with. Problems like 2-in-1 shampoo and being invited out but having to decline because their phones are still charging. Inspired by the hashtag #FirstWorldProblems, Judy Hainsworth and Kaitlin Oliver Parker are back with their comedy cabaret #FirstWorldWhiteGirls.

This trust fund princess and day-drinking trophy wife express the difficulties they regularly encounter through a number of entertaining original songs, each one expressing not only their ignorance of the world but also the extremities of their privilege. Frighteningly enough, there are times when the things they say easily remind us of someone we know, or even ourselves. When they announce to the audience that "we are you", they could in face be correct, regardless of sex, race or gender.

Straight White Men review

Upon entering Fairfax Studio at the Arts Centre Melbourne, you can’t help but notice Candy Bowers as the Stagehand-in-Charge sitting up in her booth, playing some hip hop music, including Khia’s racy “My Neck, My Back”. As the music plays, she regularly glances over the audience while flicking through a newspaper, the back page emblazoned with “Black Lives Matter”. Considering we are about to see Young Jean Lee’s Straight White Men, a play about a family of the four eponymous men getting together for Christmas celebrations, the ruthless satire is punching us in the face, especially as she makes her way down to the stage and introduces us to the make-believe world.