The Routine is a triumphant achievement of physical theatre – a masterclass in mime, movement, and the exquisite art of absurdity. Created by and starring Joylyn Secunda, this 60-minute odyssey transforms the banal rituals of office life into a surreally funny, and unexpectedly profound quest for meaning.
From the moment a lonely office worker squeezes through a portal hidden in their bathroom mirror, the audience is transported into a whimsical realm where the ordinary dissolves into illusion. Without uttering more than a barest whisper, Secunda commands the stage with astonishing precision.
Every gesture is razor-sharp, every pause charged with electricity. Their control of space, rhythm, and silence recalls the great traditions of mime, yet feels artfully contemporary.
What elevates The Routine into something truly extraordinary is its tonal dexterity. It is funny one moment – a perfectly timed double-take, a body folding into impossible shapes – and quietly aching the next. Secunda’s physical vocabulary is elastic and expressive; they can morph from mechanical monotony to childlike wonder in a breath.
Each vignette unfurls like a living cartoon, yet beneath the absurdity lies something tender and universal: the hunger to break free from repetition, to find magic in the mundane.
The assured direction of co-creator David Secunda provides a crystalline framework for the chaos. The pacing is superb, building with a logic that feels both dreamlike and inevitable.
Meanwhile, the choreography by Linda Arkelian, herself shaped by a rich performing arts lineage, is inventive and fluid, weaving movement seamlessly into theatrical illusion. The sound design, also crafted by Secunda, is not merely an accompaniment, but an active partner in the storytelling, sculpting invisible worlds around the performer, deepening the immersive spell.
Individually, these artists are accomplished in their own right. Together, they have conjured something rare: a work that feels meticulously constructed yet gloriously alive. The Routine is a work of international calibre – bold, inventive, and deeply affecting.
The Routine
Studio Theatre at Goodwood Theatre and Studios, 166 Goodwood Road, Goodwood
Performance: Saturday 21 February 2026
Season continues to 15 March 2026
Bookings: www.adelaidefringe.com.au
For more information, visit: www.goodwoodtheatreandstudios.com.au for details.
Image: Joylyn Secunda in The Routine – photo by Mark Halliday, Moonrider Productions
Review: Rohan Shearn