I had the utter delight of attending the preview of You’re So Brave at The Blue Room Theatre, playing October 18-29.
Confessional theatre with a postdramatic twist, You’re So Brave follows Georgi Ivers as she traverses a growing list of diagnoses, civil unrest in Hong Kong, and a burgeoning love of pole dancing. Blurring the lines between sex and pain, pleasure and routine, the familiar and the terrifying unknown- we are taken on a journey that is both global and deeply personal to the ultimate realization that these things are, perhaps, more intertwined than we know.
Georgi Ivers in You’re So Brave. Photography Supplied.
Georgi Ivers truly is one of Perth’s greatest storytellers and is, indeed, a triple threat- Ankylosing Spondylitis, Fibromyalgia, and Crohn’s Disease. You’re So Brave shows off their remarkable ability to keep any audience in the palm of their hand, through a wild ride of constantly shifting characterization, style, and even continent. We follow Georgi through moments of incredible loss, pain and love, and she is compelling in every moment. The way in which they portray their chronic illness is informative and emotional for any audience member- regardless of their history with illness. Georgi’s story is necessary to be told and heard, and Georgi proves herself more than capable of the task.
Perhaps unsurprising to regular Blue Room attendees, Joe Lui’s direction is stunning. Transitions between time, place and character are always clear and easy to follow, and the work carries Joe’s signature flair for the bombastic and hilarious. You’re So Brave is yet another triumph to add to Lui’s star-studded list.
Georgi Ivers in You’re So Brave. Photography Supplied.
The set is a simple skeletal system of piping and evokes imagery of both the industrial and the biological systems that sustain and sometimes imprison us. The projections, particularly, added fantastic dynamic to the work. Ranging from PowerPoint humor to gorgeous, sweeping shots of Hong Kong. However, some of these were difficult to fully see under bright lighting.
The dramaturgy and placement of segments did not always support the pace of the work. Without fail, Georgi’s story was compelling- but the overall dramaturgical arc could potentially benefit from a slight shift in ordering to propel the energy more strongly towards their gloriously sentimental ending.
Chilling, gutting, informative, and totally hilarious, You’re So Brave plays at The Blue Room Theatre from October 18-29.