Bladderwrack has an unassuming presence when you take your seat: A desk, a couple of seats with stage stands, and a lone jacket hanging from a clothes rack all seem fine enough.
Suggestions of a live radio play seem confirmed when our very British hosts – Peregrine Scattergood (Oscar Munroe) and Sheridan Anguish (David Tredinnick) – arrive in black tie and welcome those in attendance. Yet for all their wit and banter and ultra-Downton accents, the green and red lighting is.. unsettling.
Indeed, once the story begins proper, what seems like a dramatic acoustic performance on the surface reveals itself to be closer to a lost episode of The Mighty Boosh. The show is – euphemistically speaking – demented in a way that would make Artaud flinch.
You will struggle to hear some of the lines, you will marvel at the graphic design, your tentative grip on the plot will slip, but you will be entertained. We follow the plight of two sailors, the only survivors of an encounter at sea. We’re not sure how long they’ve been lost, because they’re not sure how long they’ve been lost.
Talk of food turn to philosophical ponderings turn to reminiscing, and back again – along with surviving what else is floating in the ecosystem they are, after so much time, inextricably a part of. It’s like Waiting for Godot, but with sea shanties and the most delightfully grotesque puppets.
Hilariously strong accents and some projection issues at times may mean you don’t pick up on every line Peregrine and Sheridan speak, but their chemistry and comedic timing more than compensate.
Their commitment to character ensures the absurdity never gets overwhelming. There’s a lot of fun on stage being had by both and it’s infectious from the opening jog to the final zombie-esque lurch.
Also having fun on-stage are Harriet Turner-Browne, and Adam Browne, who – with the help a live microphone, a wibble board, and other tools – provide live foley throughout.
Providing excellent sea-shanty and operatic accompaniment is Samuel Thomas-Holland, who spends the majority of his time tucked in the wings before emerging with a cameo performance that is somehow both unexpected and – by this part of the story – absolutely not a surprise in the least.
The puppet and prop design and realisation by Julian Chapple, Emma Jevons, Katerina Petratos is exquisite, helping Bladderwrack build to a final act that is calamitous, near-incomprehensible, and utterly glorious. More than worth a visit!
Bladderwrack
Explosives Factory, Rear Laneway 67 Inkerman Street, St Kilda
Performance: Thursday 6 November 2025
Season continues to 15 November 2025
Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au
For more information, visit: www.bladderwrackplay.com.au for details.
Images: Oscar Munroe and David Tredinnick in Bladderwrack – photo by Steven Mitchell Wright | Oscar Munroe in Bladderwrack – photo by Steven Mitchell Wright
Review: June Collins