On 26 September 2017, I was invited to see the 2017 Melbourne Fringe Festival show ‘Here.Live.Now’, written by Derek Wilson and directed by Jenni Townsend but starring a range of actors and improvisers. Lukas Quinn and Zoe Gough are two of these performers who I was fortunate enough to interview earlier in the festival to talk about the show (read it here).
‘Here.Live.Now’ is a sketch show that focuses on relationships. Each sketch is self-contained but the central theme is constant, that all relationships have their challenges. The show explores this theme through a variety of different relationships including a close family, a married couple and a first date amongst many others.
While occasionally predictable, ‘Here.Live.Now’ did well to unveil a few surprises through some well-paced writing and particular standout performances. The show opened with a somewhat awkward piece but developed into something with purpose. This was reflective of the show as a whole, as it built momentum through the sketches.
All of the cast did a decent job and held their own. That said, there were a number of notable highlights including an impressive performance from Indiana Kiely who owned the stage on multiple occasions as a married woman and even an elderly lady. Tom Burton nailed some difficult to execute passages and added energy and humour to his scenes. His role as a police officer was particularly memorable. Zoe also left an impression with a charming bit of audience interaction and Lukas played his roles with confidence, often adding a hint of cynicism or authority to the scenes.
The show lost me in moments of excessive (and occasionally uncomfortable) yelling. While louder voices were sometimes required for a scene, outright screaming did not work in the performance space. As an aside, sitting up the front is a must for ‘Howey Downstairs’ located at 21 Howey Place, Melbourne. The long and thin venue is not ideal for larger audience entertainment so recommend getting there early.
Despite the occasional sketch missing the mark and not resonating with the supportive audience, ‘Here.Live.Now’ did well to connect with relatable issues. The show succeeded in keeping it simple with minimal props and focussing on the characters within each of the scenes.
★★★½
Check out ‘Here.Live.Now’ from 27 to 30 September 2017. For more information and to book tickets, click here.
‘Here.Live.Now’ is a sketch show that focuses on relationships. Each sketch is self-contained but the central theme is constant, that all relationships have their challenges. The show explores this theme through a variety of different relationships including a close family, a married couple and a first date amongst many others.
While occasionally predictable, ‘Here.Live.Now’ did well to unveil a few surprises through some well-paced writing and particular standout performances. The show opened with a somewhat awkward piece but developed into something with purpose. This was reflective of the show as a whole, as it built momentum through the sketches.
All of the cast did a decent job and held their own. That said, there were a number of notable highlights including an impressive performance from Indiana Kiely who owned the stage on multiple occasions as a married woman and even an elderly lady. Tom Burton nailed some difficult to execute passages and added energy and humour to his scenes. His role as a police officer was particularly memorable. Zoe also left an impression with a charming bit of audience interaction and Lukas played his roles with confidence, often adding a hint of cynicism or authority to the scenes.
The show lost me in moments of excessive (and occasionally uncomfortable) yelling. While louder voices were sometimes required for a scene, outright screaming did not work in the performance space. As an aside, sitting up the front is a must for ‘Howey Downstairs’ located at 21 Howey Place, Melbourne. The long and thin venue is not ideal for larger audience entertainment so recommend getting there early.
Despite the occasional sketch missing the mark and not resonating with the supportive audience, ‘Here.Live.Now’ did well to connect with relatable issues. The show succeeded in keeping it simple with minimal props and focussing on the characters within each of the scenes.
★★★½
Check out ‘Here.Live.Now’ from 27 to 30 September 2017. For more information and to book tickets, click here.
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