How often do we complain about someone and describe them as the worst person ever? They might be rude, aggressive or obnoxious towards us, ignorant of the world around them or perhaps we simply don’t like the way they breathe. Written by Canadian duo Megan Phillips and Peter Cavell and presented by Melbourne theatre company, Salty Theatre, People Suck is a musical comedy that highlights these terrible human behaviours, and if you think this is only about them, then you’re in for quite an awakening as you begin to identify with the various examples.
The quintet (Belinda Jenkin, Tim Lancaster, Georgie Potter, Ashley Taylor and Ashley Weidner) go through a range of scenarios where people can excel at sucking. The workplace brings out a number of relatable gems, namely not liking a colleague for no particular reason and having your lunch eaten by the resident office thief. We delve into #MeToo territory with a sexist and lecherous boss but what People Suck does well in is taking something serious and giving us permission to laugh. The absurdity of religion and the reasoning as to why one God is better than the other is hilariously juvenile in "My God" and the joys of being surrounded by frenemies is brilliantly executed by Jenkin, Taylor and Potter in "When I See You Smile (I Want To Kill You)".
The quintet (Belinda Jenkin, Tim Lancaster, Georgie Potter, Ashley Taylor and Ashley Weidner) go through a range of scenarios where people can excel at sucking. The workplace brings out a number of relatable gems, namely not liking a colleague for no particular reason and having your lunch eaten by the resident office thief. We delve into #MeToo territory with a sexist and lecherous boss but what People Suck does well in is taking something serious and giving us permission to laugh. The absurdity of religion and the reasoning as to why one God is better than the other is hilariously juvenile in "My God" and the joys of being surrounded by frenemies is brilliantly executed by Jenkin, Taylor and Potter in "When I See You Smile (I Want To Kill You)".