Review: BIN JUICE, The Vaults

The Cavern at the Vaults could not be a more appropriate setting for a play about underground crime. Francine and Marla are in search of a new apprentice at their hazardous waste removal firm. Eager for the work, Belinda quickly discovers the job is not quite what it seems and it isn't long before she finds herself immersed in a dark and disturbing world involving criminal activity.

It's refreshing for the crime genre to be written from a female perspective and with an all female cast. Writer Cat Kolubayev explains that she wanted to write a play for women that isn't about being a woman. It makes for a memorable piece of inventive theatre and comedy at its darkest.

The cast all impress and clearly relish the material they've been provided. Adeline Waby is enthralling as the fiery Francine. Her vocal delivery and use of body language leaves us in no doubt as to who her character is, yet the actor manages to merge an underlying vulnerability with her no nonsense, somewhat intimidating persona.

Waby is complemented well by Madison Clare as Marla. Showcasing superb comic timing, Clare is also an absolute delight to watch, drawing humour from even the darkest of moments and injecting much personality into what initially seems a potentially vacuous character.

Helena Antoniou completes the cast as Belinda and offers a multi-layered, well rounded characterisation that constantly keeps us guessing. The three manage to elevate what's already a very well written script.

Director Anastasia Bruce Jones successfully sets up an uneasy, foreboding atmosphere that's sustained throughout the sixty minutes. The ending is undoubtedly disturbing yet in a way leaves us wanting more. In such a short time we are absorbed in an absurd yet believable world, which is economically established thanks to the tight script and pacey delivery of the actors.

The play leaves us with more questions than answers, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Thoroughly entertaining, yet thought provoking, this is a riveting piece of theatre that lingers in the mind. Cat Kolubayev is without doubt a writer to watch.

Bin Juice at the Vaults until 15 March

Photo credit: Lidia Crisfulli

To post a comment, you must register and login.