All the Times I Could Have presented at State Theatre Centre by The Almost Collective, journeys through two characters as they grapple with lives and decisions that could have happened but never eventuated. Yearning and regret is the name of the game and the poetic and verbose language carries emotional hits and relatable moments throughout.
Jaimee Whirledge and Anja Starkiss are two people entering into full blown adulthood who overthink themselves into paralysis. Jaimee is often the level-headed analytical sometimes crashing out in emotion and Anja is the chaotic whirlwind, spirling and impulsive. They work well as a duo and bounce off each other comedically and emotionally, often striking a good balance of emotional ranges while keeping the core idea of the show in mind.
I saw the development of this show at 600 Seconds at The Blue Room Theatre last year and thought extremely favourably of it, the short format meant that each emotional hit was unique and provocative. I don’t think the extended version maintained this effectiveness to the same degree, the framing device where we travel into this other world where we can visually identify and see all these decisions not made ended up becoming repetitive instead of the dream-like wonder it carried in the shorter version. I think the show generally would have benefited from stronger and more notable variety, this did come through in the infrequent breaks of momentum where the writing changed styles or monologues sprung through. I found the pace really picking up and Anja’s character being able to break up the stride the show was sitting in for some time.
Ultimately, I think the show has a strong core premise that might be better served as a climax in a grander show exploring themes of regret and yearning. The duo have strong writing and acting chops that I think were let down a bit by the repetitiveness of where the show currently sits. I would still be excited to see what this company explores next and where they may take this idea in the future.