Almost With You

La Mama presents yet another intricate and intensely personal theatre piece Almost With You, directed by Melbournian Kaarin Fairfax and written by Elizabeth Coleman. It presents a story of individual discovery touching on elements of the human psyche.

Lisa (Fiona Macleod) and twin brother Dan (Luke O’Sullivan) grew up in the 80s listening to rock, punk and the rave of Margaret Thatcher’s reign. Nothing could split the pair apart, until the motorbike accident that killed Dan at aged 20. Although it appears the accident still didn’t split them apart, as a flash-forward to the present reveals mid-40s Lisa, she still seeing, feeling and interacting with Dan, despite his deceased status. The more Lisa wallows in her sorrow and helplessness of her brother’s death the stronger Dan’s presence becomes.

As Lisa is excelling her in her freelance journalism career, her new project is to interview the phenomena of older parents. This sets the scene for the entry of two other character:  Jenny (Helen Hopkins) 40-year old parent/Lisa’s best friend, and Tom (Raj Sidhu) older dad, accountant and Lisa’s growing love interest. As Lisa juggles the pressure of life and relationships, her loyalty is torn between the need of her visualization of Dan begging for attention and the gentle perplexed Tom who patiently waits for Lisa to make her move.

The cast makes great use of the small space with the transition between scenes being quite seamless. As a result audiences are able to focus on the raw energy flowing from the performers as they embody the frustrations of letting go, moving on and that regrettable moment of being ‘almost with you’. It’s Luke O’Sullivan’s first time performing at La Mama and he boldly expresses his character’s new-wave hip rebel attitude making full use of the stage, to the extend of jumping only millimeters from the audience.

Ultimately, Almost With You portrays characters that are essentially “average” like you and I, pondering through life adjusting with change, love and loss. They're easy to relate and you are quick to be drawn into the scene, bec equally entangled in the messy web of professional and intimate relationships delivered dynamically on stage.  This is theatre that makes invites serious thought and reflections on the value of life and friendship. Powerful, raw and moving. Not to be missed.

Wed, Sun 6.30pm | Thu, Fri, Sat 7.30pm
Matinees at 2pm on July 15 & 22
Running time: 90 minutes
La Mama Theatre