Writer: Claudio Elliston (Cloudy Clouds)
Director: Rafaela Elliston
The birth of a child will always be a stressful but exciting experience, full of heightened emotions and frantic energy. Government minister Elliot gets to experience all of that nervous elation twice, on the same day, in the same hospital – as both his girlfriend and his mistress wind up giving birth to his children in the exact same maternity ward.
Claudio Elliston’s (Elliot) storyline is brilliantly comical, elevating the farcical elements of attempting to keep his infidelities a secret with a fast-paced, snappy script. But on top of the well-written plot, there is the unique element that this isn’t just a normal theatre show – it is a hip-hopera, with every line rapped over an instrumental beat. This heightens the humour in the play even further, dramatising the soap opera style relationships and dramatic revelations via the medium of sublime rhyme. Surprisingly, rather than deliver the big culmination that brews from the beginning of the show, there is an unexpectedly abrupt end which doesn’t quite fit the rest of the performance. The storyline devoid of having a satisfying ending, dissipates the well built-up tension and suspense and seems somewhat detached from the rest of the writing.
Because this show is heavily reliant on the witty, intriguingly rapped script to deliver the storyline to greatest effect, it’s slightly disappointing that at points the sound design hinders the output. Many lines from Liz (Zara Cooke) and Elliot are either slightly muffled or over-amplified through their microphones, causing some chunks of scenes to become almost lost in translation. While it doesn’t deter from understanding the easy to grasp storyline, it does break up the flow and rhythm, with the audience straining to hear the on-stage interactions.
Annie Foreman (Bella) and Rachel Goodacre (Helen) are impeccable as the pregnant protagonists. They deliver each line clearly and comically, with excellent timing. Cathy Mcmanamon (Linda) and Ed Petrie (David) both get relatively short scenes, but are hilarious every time they grace the stage. The direction from Rafaela Elliston choreographs fantastic movement, at points almost like an accompanying contemporary dance while the characters deftly navigate around each other.
This unique rap opera told solely in rhyme, is definitely worth a visit if you have the time. This clever storyline is bought to life by a talented cast – funny and farcical, you’re sure to have a blast.
Runs until 26 February 2023
The Reviews Hub Score
Sublime Rhyme
