The Bask Theatre drew audience reaction and left minds wandering in their latest production, Glory Down the Line.
From the first steps towards the Butterfly Club, I could feel a wall of vulnerability come down.
The alleyway that leads to the venue, the drawings in the staircase and the eclectic decor transported me to somewhere otherworldly.
A lack of natural light left me questioning the time of day, and I lent my full focus to the setting.
After picking up my ticket from the box office which doubled as a bar with beer, wine and specialty cocktails, a bell chimed alerting myself and other audience members to make our way into the small theatre.
Julia Gasparini and Henry Stephensen took the stage, the two, composing the entire cast, a meagre but dedicated crew.
Henry, who played Brayden, a seemingly intelligent but uptight teen, sat stoically to begin the performance. Julia’s character, Simone, entered haphazardly establishing the tone of the pair’s relationship.
Writer and director Tully Jones pieced together real-life scenarios with situations rooted in fantasy, all of which were executed with the utmost composure.
The simple set, a sitting box, payphone and a few other props let the characters’ exchanges take the forefront.
Brayden and Simone’s dialog painted clear imagery of their backgrounds in Melbourne and how they found themselves in a mutual predicament during what they expected to be a standard camping trip.
I experienced a vast range of emotions throughout the hour-long production.
The young-adult audience at the 18 January evening show, the last of five days of performances, aided on the comedic component, nearly providing a live laugh track.
There were also extremely sombre moments, surprises and scenes eliciting unsettling but empathetic sensations.
Despite the unrealistic nature of the plot, Henry and Julia made it feel personal. The soundtracks and effects gave me chills and at times, I found myself welling up.
The conclusion left me longing for closure. It seemed in part intentional on Tully’s behalf, to send the audience away, pondering the themes and questioning meaning.
For more from the Bask Theatre, visit their Instagram @basktheatre and find the Butterfly Club at TheButterflyClub.com.
Image credit: Angelo Snell