Brie Keatley
Kicking off my 2024 New Zealand Fringe Festival by seeing a show that hits a little too close to home (or should I say flat?) ONE BEDROOM AVAILABLE IN SUPER SUNNY CENTRAL WELLINGTON FLAT $260 PER WEEK EXCLUDING EXPENSES is theatre company P I V O T’s first show and it’s quite the debut.
Quite cleverly (and very Fringe) ONE BEDROOM is performed at Inverlochy Art School, an old building that is a shoe in for the old ‘character flats’ around Wellington. The audience have come to view the available room and have arrived early which prompts flatmates Leo (Rachel McSweeney) and Riley (Monet Wiljo Faifai-Collins) to do an impromptu clean as we watch. Upon entering the performance space, we are seated in the round and forewarned there will be audience interaction, which makes sense as we are the ones viewing the room. Although there is a little bit near the beginning and end, I would’ve liked to feel more involved in the action of the viewing. That being said, the viewing is anything but boring.
The ensemble onstage really do feel like a mismatched Wellington flat. The dynamic between Leo and Riley does really feel like two flatmates who have lived together for years and are desperate to find someone to fit into their flat family. The tight and fresh feeling script (Jackson Burling and Hannah Doogan) can also be praised for this excellent flow between characters. I also love the sullen hands-in-pockets, sick of the state of Wellington renting character Mac (Adriana Calabrese) and the Aussie who had no idea what he had signed up for, Seamus (Jackson Burling). I work in tenancy advocacy and these two archetypal characters are often the clients I have in my office most often and I feel the way they are portrayed is absolutely spot on. I also must really give my appreciation to Hannah Doogan as Eden. I know Eden, I’ve met Eden multiple times at various flat viewings and Doogan’s commitment to the intense but naïve Eden has me giggling at multiple points. The characters in ONE BEDROOM are strong and realistic.
Seeing as the room they used in Inverlochy House was not a traditional theatre space, ONE BEDROOM wore their tech on their sleeve in such a brilliant way. Existing flatmate DJ Stan (Charleigh Griffiths) is in the corner absolutely bopping away the entire show. DJ Stan would often dim the lights and put on a backing track for the characters to sing cleverly rearranged versions of kiwi classics, including Slice of Heaven (a.k.a. Slice of Average) and Six Months in a Leaky (Flat) Boat. These are excellently modernised by music producer Liam Gerritsen and musical director Calabrese. The songs never feel out of place or too absurd, in fact, I wish for more of them! There is also not a lot the team could do in terms of lighting but they push the space to its limits and use lighting effectively and cohesively with the space! Particular fun is had during a musical number when different ceiling lights are switched on and off depending on which character is singing. It is so dramatically silly and fit within the piece so well.
Overall, ONE BEDROOM AVAILABLE IN SUPER CENTRAL WELLINGTON FLAT $260 PER WEEK EXCLUDING EXPENSES is really cool and unique. Using the Wellington rental crisis as a vessel for theatre is severely underused in my opinion so I’m hoping this is just the beginning of this type of theatre. Well done P I V O T on your sell out first season, I really can’t wait to see what you get up to in the future (and really hope you fill that room!).
ONE BEDROOM AVAILABLE IN SUPER CENTRAL WELLINGTON FLAT $260 PER WEEK EXCLUDING EXPENSES is on at Inverlochy House, as part of the New Zealand Fringe Festival from the 16th to the 18th of February. All performances are sold out but there may be tickets available at the door.