• theatre
  • features
  • faqs
  • contact
  • theatre
  • features
  • faqs
  • contact
  Art Murmurs - Wellington Reviews

Reviews

What Keith Did

5/3/2023

Comments

 

Austin Harrison

Picture
What Keith Did is the most original concept I’ve come across in fringe so far, exploring the everyday happenings of a dystopian alternate reality. In this world injections are required for your body to perform basic functions, humans live in shared dwellings split into Keiths and Kevins, they live only off of weetbix and milk. It’s odd, inventive and comes with a 36 page manual. So wtf is going on with What Keith Did???

The first interaction comes the day before the show, when you are sent a digital copy of “The Manual” and instructed to read every word. Never fear if you don’t have time, they will also hand you a copy on entry at the venue with the same instruction. However, on this particular day I found myself with a need to be distracted from the chaos of life and so I did indeed sit and read as much of it as I could. Page 3 is a recipe for soup which google translate tells me is in Belarussian. A few sections are completely indecipherable, but for the most part it introduces me to the world of What Keith Did. From the purpose of the “in” and “out” pipes in citizens rooms to the global centralisation of governments, it sets the scene for the bizarre reality we’re about to step into.

Entering the coworking-space-turned-fringe-venue at twofiftyseven, I’m impressed at the use of venue. The team have brought in some stage lights, projection and set which simultaneously transform and embrace the industrial vibe of the venue. The concrete floor and air conditioning pipes in the ceiling look like they’ve been constructed as part of the set as we see a bleak apartment. One wall has a large crank handle below a projected battery on 0%, and our sole character who I assume, after reading the manual, to be a Kevin (James Kiesel) is splayed out, asleep centre stage. 

What follows is a few days in the life of this ordinary man, in his extraordinary world. He takes a trip to a milk theme park, eats, complains, defecates and attempts to “do the work”. 90% of the show is performed in realism with the 4th wall left firmly intact. Suddenly, towards the end of the show Kiesel breaks out to the audience and asks us “does anyone here do the work”. There is no response because we weren’t expecting it. Kiesel handles it with charm, but the moment is awkward because the expectations of performance mode have been well and truly set, and the audience doesn’t factor into it in any way before this. We are simply asked to observe, and reference the correct page of the manual for context. 

This speaks to the central issue with this show. Director Alex Suha and Kiesel have clearly put a lot of effort and thought into the world, and the manual is an interesting and unique element. Unfortunately, the same dramaturgical rigor has not been applied to live performance in the room. Kiesel is an able performer, and gives great physicality to his role but I find the action onstage fairly unengaging. For my taste, it is neither mundane enough to be interesting, nor eventful enough to be gripping. It falls in an awkward no man’s land which I find difficult to get invested in. 

I think this is a shame, as the world-building and concept indicate that the team have clearly got a great creative vision, it just hasn’t translated onto the stage (yet). The show’s producer Sabrina Martin does provide some entertaining relief as the Stage Manager/Mascot providing ambivalent support and I must give credit to Jacob Bank’s AV design which is retro and lively, and gives much needed texture to the visual experience of the show. 

What Keith Did is a fun and unique concept, yet to find a place for the audience in its world. It runs until March 5th at Twofiftyseven. Tickets are available through the Fringe website.
Comments

    Local Honest Reviews

    At Art Murmurs, our aim is to provide honest and constructive art reviews to the Wellington community.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All
    All Age Appropriate
    Art
    BATS
    Beauty Standards
    Black Comedy
    Body Positive
    Circa
    Circus
    Comedy
    Comedy Festival 2018
    Comedy Festival 2019
    Comedy Gala 2022
    Community Theatre
    Dance
    Devised
    Documentary
    Drag
    Drama
    Emerging Artist
    Exhibition
    Experimental
    Female Artists
    Feminism
    Feminist
    Festival
    For Kids
    Fringe
    Fun
    Gallery
    Gryphon Theatre
    Hannah Playhouse
    Heart + Music
    History
    Improv
    Interactive
    International
    Interview
    Ivy
    Lighting
    Local
    Mental Health
    Monologue
    Music
    Musical
    New Writing
    New Zealand
    NZ Comedy
    NZ Fringe
    NZIF
    On Tour
    Performance Poetry
    Photography
    Photospace Gallery
    Physical Theatre
    Political
    Politics
    Premiere
    Pyramid Club
    Queer
    Race
    Roxy LIVE
    Science
    Scruffy Bunny Improv Theatre
    Sexual Violence
    Shakespeare
    Site Specific
    Site-specific
    Sketch
    Solo Show
    Song
    Spoken Word
    Stagecraft
    Storytelling
    Tahi Festival
    Te Auaha
    Theatre
    Thought Provoking
    Thought-provoking
    Thriller
    Toi Poneke Gallery
    Verbatim
    Victoria University
    Violence
    Virtual Theatre
    Weekly
    Wellington
    Wellington Footlights
    Wellington Repertory