Jonathan Hobman
The Existentialist Survival Guide to Australia was four rules explaining how to survive social western Australia, specifically Perth.
Each rule was accompanied by questions to the audience or anecdotes and observations about German immigrant Russya Conner’s decidedly negative experiences there.
Each rule was accompanied by questions to the audience or anecdotes and observations about German immigrant Russya Conner’s decidedly negative experiences there.
“Don’t talk about your feelings, everything’s always fine”
“Always apologise"
“Don’t hang out with the men at a barbaque or risk being labeled “an exotic adventurous man stealing *****” (Censored only as I can’t remember which word was used)
And Lastly, all of the must know dos and don’ts for surviving the inhospitable Western Outback.
Conner noted the setting was more intimate than usual and we were encouraged to move the chairs into a single row. The setting was a Victoria University student union building in a moderately sized room that I hadn’t known existed. There were nine of us and one of her.
The show was essentially a casual conversation about social culture lead by Conner. After each audience member had introduced themselves, we were encouraged to interrupt with our thoughts. A koala bear was hanging off of a TV with a map of Australia attached to it, and was offered to anyone that might need moral support should they be offended by her criticism. It was eventually used by someone in jest.
I enjoyed the show myself. I found her culture shock interesting, I enjoyed the general meta-social topic of conversation and I had the opportunity to engage in the conversation. I think she may have known I was reviewing as she seemed to have a particular interest in me. She asked me how I got free tickets and I said a friend couldn’t come, which was only omitting information. My companion didn’t much care for the show I’m afraid, he’s the smaller surlier looking one if Conner’s reading this.
The openness of the conversation made for some interesting banter as one of the patrons made a joke about how he might want to be punished by Conner, and it was decided that she should have a cane for the next performance. Jokes, or rather comments, about Perth and crystal meth were made a couple of times by the same guy and I was asked by another audience member if New Zealand men made good lovers, to which I shrugged childishly. The aforementioned koala jest did end up being a sexual jest by crystal meth guy.
I definitely in on moment experienced a sort of existential alienation as I was watching a show about a german trying to engage socially with Australians, but it was also a conversation, with mild sexual tension being thrown from crystal meth guy and do NZers make good lovers guy. It all felt slightly absurd in the literary/theatrical sense.
If a 45 min, charming, lighthearted, open conversation about the toxicity of Perth’s social life and social life in general is something you’d enjoy then this show is something you’d enjoy.
“Always apologise"
“Don’t hang out with the men at a barbaque or risk being labeled “an exotic adventurous man stealing *****” (Censored only as I can’t remember which word was used)
And Lastly, all of the must know dos and don’ts for surviving the inhospitable Western Outback.
Conner noted the setting was more intimate than usual and we were encouraged to move the chairs into a single row. The setting was a Victoria University student union building in a moderately sized room that I hadn’t known existed. There were nine of us and one of her.
The show was essentially a casual conversation about social culture lead by Conner. After each audience member had introduced themselves, we were encouraged to interrupt with our thoughts. A koala bear was hanging off of a TV with a map of Australia attached to it, and was offered to anyone that might need moral support should they be offended by her criticism. It was eventually used by someone in jest.
I enjoyed the show myself. I found her culture shock interesting, I enjoyed the general meta-social topic of conversation and I had the opportunity to engage in the conversation. I think she may have known I was reviewing as she seemed to have a particular interest in me. She asked me how I got free tickets and I said a friend couldn’t come, which was only omitting information. My companion didn’t much care for the show I’m afraid, he’s the smaller surlier looking one if Conner’s reading this.
The openness of the conversation made for some interesting banter as one of the patrons made a joke about how he might want to be punished by Conner, and it was decided that she should have a cane for the next performance. Jokes, or rather comments, about Perth and crystal meth were made a couple of times by the same guy and I was asked by another audience member if New Zealand men made good lovers, to which I shrugged childishly. The aforementioned koala jest did end up being a sexual jest by crystal meth guy.
I definitely in on moment experienced a sort of existential alienation as I was watching a show about a german trying to engage socially with Australians, but it was also a conversation, with mild sexual tension being thrown from crystal meth guy and do NZers make good lovers guy. It all felt slightly absurd in the literary/theatrical sense.
If a 45 min, charming, lighthearted, open conversation about the toxicity of Perth’s social life and social life in general is something you’d enjoy then this show is something you’d enjoy.
