By Lali Gill
In amongst the huge volume of Short and Sweet performances which are scattered charmingly throughout Sydney’s current theatre scene, Baaah really is a refreshing and hilarious look at familial relationships. Baaah gets a laugh out of the audience as soon as the lights come up - we see a young man and woman in white clothes, covered in fake blood. Through thick Scottish accents and hilarious detailed dialogue, we learn that the twins have just murdered their parents (with a spoon!) and are excited to discover what makes up their inheritance.
Baaah is written, directed, produced and stars Sophie Davis, who along with her (both on and off stage) brother Chris Davis take us on a thrilling little journey.
I have always appreciated short stories - there is an art to successfully expressing a story of substance in a short amount of time - and Baaah did just that. Davis’s writing is clever and witty, at times the audience was actually laughing a few seconds late as they understood the joke they had just heard as the next one was cleverly being woven in. The direction of the show is clear and simple, letting the dialogue and the actors’ natural humour shine without being clouded by over complicated blocking or staging.
The set is made up of only a grey couch which was used wisely and often humorously in more than one way. Everything the Davis twins said during the show was clear, intentional and layered - nothing felt like a throwaway line or a cheap joke.
Seeing Baaah got me thinking about how I rarely see stories about siblings, and how I’d love to see more. We often watch theatre which explores romantic relationships, friendships and even parent/child relationships, but rarely sibling relationships, and I’m not sure why! Baaah was genuinely funny, a huge crowd pleaser and a creative short story! If you’re planning to see some Short and Sweets this year, check this out!
Photos Supplied by Lali Gill
All opinions and thoughts expressed within reviews on Theatre Travels are those of the writer and not of the company at large.