Are some friends just perfect for each other? This character-driven play opens in the messy bedroom of Louis (Sam Lau), chilling with silly songs on his guitar until his best friend Elle (Danielle Lim) erupts onto the scene.
Self-absorbed Elle launches straight into the day from hell she’s had at the primary school where she teaches, as several eight-year-olds torment her, in part because she’s Asian.
Louis tries to keep his chill, playful vibe going until it surfaces that while she’s had a rough day, his work has been worse – and for a far more significant reason.
For the first portion of the play, Louis is the more likeable character. Lau’s performance and posture supports this “let’s just chill” vibe. While Lim starts with her energy at a “10,” she dials it back, helping us see her as more than a melodramatic diva.
As a sexually-active young man and young woman, the play explores the hypocrisies inherent in living as feminists, tackling gender and sexual politics, and racism through the lens of their Asian identity
Given the size of the Asian populations in Australia, and the important role Asians have played in Australia’s history, not to mention former Prime Minister Paul Keating’s repositioning of Australia as part of Asia rather than Europe, I’m surprised there’s not a wealth of productions exploring Asian characters and their cultures in Australia.
With the characters’ back and forth, the two of them establish a bang-on pace that gives the audience a chance to catch their breath as the emotions become more raw.
The level of drama you’d usually expect in a year of friendship gets compressed into an intense hour, sending the characters racing towards a climax that sadly becomes obvious too early on.
The set, costumes, and lighting act as three additional characters. The set is an extension of Louis, who is in his early 20s: A skateboard, guitar, record player, clothes rack.
As more and more of the set pieces become props, you wonder what and how things will be used next. As for the costumes, both actors change once on-stage in the open, adding to the raw intimacy of the production.
Finally, the lighting hints at the dark moods as the play opens and at the descent into darkness the characters make as the play ends.
While major Australian cities like Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane have vibrant Asian-Australian theatre scenes (with shows such as Love Letters and Golden Blood), Adelaide audiences have fewer opportunities to see themselves represented on stage. This Asian-Australian adaptation of Van Badham’s witty script helps address this local gap.
By sheer coincidence, because of a last-minute plus-one change, I went with an older Asian man, Freddy. During our drive home discussion, he highlighted how meaningful it was to see Asian-Australian stories on Adelaide stages.
Bang On the Nerve succeeds both as engaging theatre and as a vital addition to Asian-Australian representation on stage.
Through its exploration of friendship, sexuality, and identity politics, the production offers a fresh perspective on contemporary relationships while tackling persistent cultural stereotypes and social hypocrisies. The result is both entertaining and thought-provoking.
And, yes, some friends are perfect for each other.
Bang On The Nerve
Goodwood Theatre & Studios, 166 Goodwood Road, Goodwood (Adelaide)
Performance: Wednesday 4 December 2024 – 7.30 pm
Season continues to 8 December 2024
Information and Bookings: goodwoodtheatreandstudios.com.au/what-s-on
Image: Danielle Lim and Sam Lau in Bang On The Nerve – photo by Jamois
Review: Daniel G. Taylor