Water, or ‘the wetness’, makes up about 60% of our bodies and 70% of our planet. But in the hands of comic performer Rose KB, this ubiquitous substance is electrified with powerful new charges and free-flowing delights on a journey laced with humour and desire.
As our guide through this lush, watery world, theatre-maker Rose KB (Rose Kingdom-Barron) is beguiling from the beginning. No spoilers on exactly how she’s introduced – suffice to say it’s a wonderfully fitting way to set the scene for what’s in store.
The Wetness review – quick links
Water sprites and spirit guides
As KB takes centre stage to sounds of crashing waves and claps of lightning, her long red locks cling to her semi-sheer apparel and glistening skin. When she starts to move, she is every bit the sensuous ocean goddess that her appearance makes her out to be.
But KB is not alone. She is accompanied by two handsome ‘aquatic acolytes’ – played by Jack Caddy and Hardil Singh – who, like KB, appear cheeky and barely dressed.
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While these two water-carriers remain seductively mute, KB – who is poised as our liquescent spirit guide – announces in husky tones that we are in for a trip through sprawling landscapes of body, mind and soul.
Soon, she is calling us ‘to go back to the first thirst’ to ‘connect with our original wetness’, and as she does so, our pull towards her strengthens.
A magnetic and mischievous performer
KB has strong stage presence. Her fiery voice and cool, unhurried delivery are effective in sweeping us into her orbit. It’s both fun and funny to follow her streams of thought, which, while diverse, are constantly bubbling with mischief and titillation.
However, at times there is discontinuity between the show’s different scenes and vignettes and this doesn’t allow The Wetness to achieve an overall sense of flow, which, for a work about water, seems quite important. Perhaps with further development, the pace and duration of some scene transitions could be tightened or reworked so its streaming energies can be better sustained.
But there little doubting the life force of the show’s main star, nor that of her acolyte companions. Working together, their sassy charm and open-heartedness provide enchanting and entertaining performances (all under some nice lighting effects by designer and performer Jack Caddy).
By the end, we find ourselves a little wetter, but happy to have had our senses soaked and our curiosity piqued by this intriguing band of three.
In many ways, The Wetness feels like proof of what comic contemporary performance can do so well – in cracking open the ice, exploring what’s inside and allowing us to feel more connected to each other along the way.
The Wetness is showing at The Gold Digger at The Pleasure Garden, Perth until 14 February as part of FRINGE WORLD.
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Broken Wheel is a new play by Perth-based emerging independent artists Indi Ellison and Nathan Di Giovanni, who met while doing the Advanced Diploma of Performance at WAAPA.
Broken Wheel is a new play by Perth-based emerging independent artists Indi Ellison and Nathan Di Giovanni, who met while doing the Advanced Diploma of Performance at WAAPA.
The interconnection between the two couples was gradually revealed. A voiceover by a small child (uncredited but possibly the most affecting performance in the show) also opened the play with a slightly bowdlerised version of Philip Larkin’s famous poem This Be the Verse (‘They fuck you up, your mum and dad’) and reappeared very effectively in the final scene. Otherwise, writing and staging were essentially naturalistic and minimal.
