Be sure to leave all expectations on order, logic and reality at the door and prepare to be plunged into the depths of tragicomedy, absurdity and puppetry in Emma Van Veen’s debut Lost & Finding by Liminal Productions. This jaw ajar production will have you disconcerted from start to finish, leaving you marvelling at the originality unfolding around you.
This eccentric production begins at the foyer of Flight Path Theatre, before you have even taken your seats. Protagonist Cassie (Emma Throssell) frantically runs amok organising a range of things whilst she is on hold with Centrelink. The classic Centrelink tune is playing in the background. Amongst the cacophony and chaos, Cassie is startled by an obscure creature and chased down into the World of Lost Things.
As the audience stumbles down into the World of Lost Things with Cassie, entering the auditorium, the small confines of Flight Path Theatre are transformed into what can only be described as a lucid dream.
Hannah Tayler and Paris Bell’s set design is a kaleidoscope of maximalist grunge. Think The Cat in the Hat’s ‘The Mother of all Messes’ meets Sesame Street. Tayler and Bell’s set is a microdose of the hard trip the audience envelops as the performance unfolds.
Van Veen keeps the plot fairly simple. Cassie needs to find her notebook of jokes in the World of Lost Things and escape in time to attend an audition as an aspiring comedian. Throssell delivers a skilled performance that exudes confidence and brilliant comedic timing.
In the vulnerable moments, Throssell provides a subtle performance, although a touch more emotional weight could have heightened the gravitas for these scenes. In a production that loosely holds structure, Throssell’s performance becomes a crutch for the audience in interpreting and understanding it.
The puppeteers (Natanyah Forbes, Jade Fuda, Michael Ho, Renae Valastro, George Wohlfiel, and Ashleigh Chandler) all have fantastic coordination with strong physical range. Together they allow the puppets to integrate organically into the performance.
A special mention must be made to Natanyah Forbes and Renae Valastro. Their voice work and interactions bring great depth and personality to Carl the Pigeon and the Wizard Lizard.
As a debut work, Van Veen’s script is a bold approach to storytelling that takes absurdism very seriously in the most hilarious way possible. However, there is some ambiguity in parts of the plot and characterisation, which asks the audience to do the heavy-lifting in connecting the narrative threads. This ambiguity diminishes some of the more fascinating existential issues that the production raises.
Van Veen compensates for this ambiguity with punchy comedy and effortless Gen Z lingo interspersed throughout. This keeps the performance lively even when the narrative is a little vague.
Liminal Productions’ Lost & Finding is an exciting and comedic attempt at the absurdist with a slightly didactic ending. There is nothing that can truly prepare you for this performance, which will leave you disoriented and laughing out loud. Despite some lack of clarity, the production is a unique theatrical trip which delights in chaos and savours bewilderment.
Liminal Productions’ Lost & Finding runs to 23 August at Flight Path Theatre, 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204.
Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/lost-and-finding
Website: https://www.flightpaththeatre.org/whats-on/lost-amp-findings
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/liminal.productions/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/flightpaththeatre/
Photo credits: Phil Erbacher
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