“How well do you really know those close to you? Do you know how they would respond if a truly confronting choice was laid out in front of them?” These questions are artfully posed in the Melbourne Theatre Company’s production of 'Never Have I Ever'.
Written by Deborah Frances-White, this whip-smart and undeniably funny production will have audiences walking away unpacking how they would react if they or their friends were put in the situation the characters – who we meet throughout the evening – find themselves in.
On a beautiful and captivating set, artfully designed by Zoe Rouse – who really does deserve kudos for the unique space she has created – we first meet Jacq (Katie Robertson) and Kas (Sunny S Walia). We quickly learn that tonight is going to be difficult for the couple – their restaurant has failed, and they need to reveal this fact to their investors and friends, Tobin (Simon Gleeson) and Adaego (Chika Ikogwe). The scene is set for a confronting evening, but little does the audience know how confronting it is going to become.
As their guests arrive the personalities of the four friends and lovers begin to reveal themselves. Walia and Gleeson in particular are truly impressive at delivering unlikeable characters in a way that maintains the audience’s interest in their motivation. Gleeson plays the slimy and dislikable Tobin artfully enough to keep the crowd interested, despite how infuriating his behaviour may be, and Walia brings fence-sitter Kas to life in a way that makes his problematic inability to commit to a decision more affable than irritating.
Image © Sarah Walker
The gentle build of the story does start to drag – if only momentarily – before the penny drops and the pace picks up towards the end of the first act. What at first seems like a lot of verbose talk just for the sake of it, quickly pivots when a game of ‘Never Have I Ever’ begins. It’s at this moment that the story begins to make sense and the foundation that was laid with all the seemingly mundane chatter at the start feels like a worthwhile pay-off.
In the second act, the audience is gripped, undoubtedly willing the characters all to make the right choice – whatever they think that may be. Robertson and Ikogwe shine as the story hurtles towards its climax, their strong performances captivating the crowd while still both managing to deliver clever one-liners that help break the tension with incredible comedic timing.
'Never Have I Ever' works because it easily finds a realistic mid-point between comedy and tension. The devastating comments and moments of clarity throughout are punctuated with genuine laughs, perfectly timed to lift a little heaviness – but not so much that the important social commentary shared throughout is in any way undermined.
The show offers up many themes to unpack and will certainly leave audiences questioning many things about the way we live, what we share and the choices we would make to support ourselves.
