Brilliant Young Thing @ The Bakehouse Theatre, Adelaide (10/03/2007)
A small, young and enthusiastic cast did very well to carry off this farce as the script was quite complicated and at times difficult to follow. The play was well rehearsed with lines that ran smoothly and the characters were well cast to suit their roles. The set was modest but it worked well to give the play three locations without having to move any set pieces.
A young man in his early twenties, rejected by a girlfriend for no longer being ‘a brilliant young thing’ became depressed and eager to find someone who could help him to restore his brilliance so he could win back his girlfriend.
‘Kurt’ met an articulate young student, Bernard, in the local pub during a binge drinking session and was so impressed that he invited the student back to his apartment. Kurt had recognised the brilliance of the young man and decided to kidnap him and tie him to a chair until he divulged the secret of his brilliance in an effort to restore his own.
The play was set in a local pub, a café and the apartment shared by Kurt and his friend Lucy. While Kurt was the main instigator of the kidnapping, Lucy became drawn into the game and did little to help the struggling Bernard who was tied to a chair for most of the play. Kurt disappeared leaving the poor Bernard to face Lucy’s questioning and reasoning at to why she should not untie him and he regrettably spent more hours tied to the chair.
Both Kurt and Lucy moved through the scenes effortlessly while Bernard struggled at times with his demanding role.
The play finished with a nice little twist, as Bernard tried to impress Kurt’s ex girlfriend with the same brilliance that Kurt had done, thereby proving that Kurt really was still a ‘Brilliant Young Thing’ after all.