Square
The one-woman play ‘Square’ is a hilarious exploration into the life of 22-year-old Esme Square.
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Square is a short 45-minute play, tucked away in a small theatre, seating thirty within Erskinville Town Hall. The play deep dives into clichès, stereotypical and common experiences of young adults in their early twenties. I could not stop myself from laughing due to the sheer relatability of Esme's experiences to my own! Following Esme for one week we see her explore friendships, moving cities, enduring a breakup and cutting her own bangs. The week starts as Esme moves to Sydney from Brisbane, with parts of her Queensland life still following her and encountering challenges along the way.
Rachel Thomas is the writer and performer, transforming into over eight characters throughout the performance. Her physical connection and commitment to each character were impressive. Madi Phoenix's direction amplified Thomas’ performance. Thomas’ comedic delivery was well executed. The stage was tiny with lots of props and a soundscape that was a well-suited background to the performance. This show has great potential, but it could be developed further with more spacious staging or minimising props- at times the blocking felt squished. The soundscapes could be integrated more to assist with flashbacks and signify each day to make the distinction serve the narrative more effectively. The show could benefit from refining the narrative, particularly in the clarity between characters, flashbacks and present tense to make it flow better.
At its core, Square celebrates change, letting go and embracing who you are. Square is a goofy and fun show, all about experiencing life and everything that comes with it in your twenties.
Square is being performed at Erskinville Town Hall till September 28th.
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