Reviewer: Christine Stanton
Writer & Director: Samantha Gray
“Multi-layered, Light-hearted Comedy“
4 / 5
Love and money are the two things that make the world go round, problem is – it’s often quite hard to get either, let alone both. The rise of technology, in theory, should make the dating process a lot easier – connecting like-minded souls all over the globe, but instead, it assists in paving the way for the dark side of dating to create unsavoury money making opportunities.
Lad (the talented and comedic Stanley Karikari) is the main focal point of the narrative. He’s close with his family, works hard in his serious corporate job and is proud of the successes he’s built for himself, after all – he wears cufflinks and eats scallops, he is the epitome of a impressive gentleman. Yet, the one part of his life that is lacking is the one part he longs the most to have; love. He’s signed up to a multitude of dating apps, and on one, ends up meeting Mary (Emma Von Schreiber), a wholesome girl who he can genuinely see a future with, after a series of awkward dates and endearingly fumbling conversations as they try and get to know each other. Things seem to be looking up – until he gets a shock message informing him of an illicit webcam recording that was taken during a moment of passion with another girl, and a demand for payment in order to keep their silence.
Writer and director Samantha Gray’s Sacred and Profane is a very funny, cleverly written, cross-storyline show. While Lad’s storyline with Mary is sweet and relatable, his dilemma to pay his random fee is tense and shocking, creating a brilliant dichotomy between the clashing scenes. Another great addition is the inclusion of Nancy (Athena Zacharia) and Stella (Jazzie Ricks) who occasionally steal the narrative away from Lad and showcase their desperation to find a way of making money after they get fired from their jobs at a casino. Both Stella and Nancy are wonderfully well-written, iliciting an element of sympathy for them both due to their situations, while simultaneusly berating them for abandoning their moral compasses. It’s these multi-layered personalities of each of Gray’s characters that help them to come across incredibly human, showing both good and bad traits, rather than simply using the script as a vessel for a specific message.
The cast are fantastic – natural and relaxed, they easily deliver the script with the right amount of pacing and energy required within each scene. They work well with and against eachother, as they each extract the believable storyline on stage. There is also a quirky element worked into the show with the introduction of Cash (Ben Felton – also plays Boss) – an AI chatbot who unhelpfully, but cheerily imparts his apparent wisdom about love and life at various points throughout the show. His robotic, eerie delivery is fantastic and adds an almost sinister tone to some of the darker parts of the storyline. The space is used expertly, with various areas of the room being used for different scenes, occasionally in the midst of the audience, which helps the fast-paced storyline feel even more immersive and all-consuming.
It’s a strong show, but the most enjoyable thing about it, is the effortless, laidback extraction of humour. Almost sitcom like in nature, none of the jokes feel built in too strictly, most the light-hearted discussions and mannerisms of the characters create the light-hearted comedy that keeps this show engaging from beginning to end.
Runs Until 27 April 2024
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