FEEDBACK. Written and directed by Andrew Buckland. Assistant director: Roshina Ratnam. With Carlo Daniels, Awethu Hleli, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe and Lyle October. Baxter Studio.
KAREN RUTTER reviews
What struck me first about Feedback was how much FUN this crew must have had, pulling it all together. A high-energy, physically-exuberant, wittily-clever explosion of a piece, Feedback radiates with the enthusiasm of its cast and creative guides.
The second thing that registered was that while everybody was busy making this 80-minute staging look effortless, behind the scenes there has clearly been HEAPS of disciplined hard work driving this play’s compact choreography. Fun it may be – but you don’t get to be this tight without putting in Malcolm Gladwell-styled hours.
And Feedback is decidedly slick, in a comedic, surreal way. On a serious note, the play is about the politics of food, in a world where “famine is purposefully constructed as as act of war, of genocide” as playwright Buckland puts it; but it is also about flying cheeses and cannibalism. The actors are court jesters, sneaking in truths under the guise of jokes; gonzo jesters dancing on a razor’s edge between riotous laughter and dangerous honesty. It’s a madcap tale of two brothers, a couple of hard-boiled detectives, and an airborne circus of cheeses (plus an arsenal of rogue food items), all locked in a wild duel of wits with the sinister Grave Brothers. Oh, and not a single prop is used.
Quirky, offbeat and smart
The four-person cast, part of the Baxter’s resident Fire’s Burning company, tackle the physical and vocal demands with alacricity. They’ve worked together in a diverse range of productions over the past months, and their confidence as a team is obvious. Such is the scope of this play that the actors can shine in both ensemble and solo spots – and they very much do. Buckland and assistant director Roshina Ratnam’s sure hands in this process are evident throughout, as the cast members deliver a note-perfect performance.
Buckland originally wrote this piece some three decades ago as a one-hander which he, and later Lionel Newton, performed. Not having seen this version (but assuming it was equally fabulous), one can only surmise that expanding the cast has totally expanded the laughs.
Feedback is quirky, offbeat and smart, delivering an important message packaged in a very entertaining way. There were parts of it that reminded of me of the madcap Raiders series that amused each year at the NAF (and this is an entirely complimentary comparison). But it is ultimately its own rollicking self. The audience was in stitches on opening night, and I predict similar reactions throughout the run. For cheeses’ sake, go and enjoy!
What: Feedback
Where and when: Baxter Studio from 7 to 30 August 2025
Tickets: Webtickets
WS
