Theatre Reviews

To be allowed to die, Zara must debate her fate with an android therapist and overcome the human drive to survive. ‘Good Day’ is a new dark comedy that explores how we find meaning in our lives and asks whether immortality is really all it’s cracked up to be.”

Review by Richard Lambert, 5 Stars

So many fringe shows technically choose the lowest denominator. It’s a rare treat to come across a show such as this one in the Network Theatre of Vault Festival that feels like they have refused to copy suit and have insisted on a better quality of technical standard.

And this has worked so well! As you can see from the production photos, this is more of a full production. There are 3 LCD wide-screens displaying content. A futuristic LED strip overhead and 2 benches that can be tilted to display metallic mirrors with integral battery-powered LED Strips controlled wirelessly.

Even the lighting matches the futuristic feel using steel palettes of colour.

Director Marlie Haco has staged this so well that even the scene changes are interesting, choreographic, and seamless.

The story is fascinating! Not to disclose spoilers but the questions spring from “what happens if humans no longer get ill, or die”? Due to modern technology, life becomes infinite. But, once you’ve done everything, what’s the point of continuing your existence into infinity? So many questions put on the table, so many angles, and, to the credit of this production, although this is a preposterous idea, I was drawn in and I did wonder how I would feel. Is an infinite physical existence actually sustainable or would the emotional existence decay and crumble and cause resentment? So what happens then?

I loved the concept, I loved that one could be cynical about Utopia. Nobody tried to answer all the questions and wrap it all up. I was moved by the final scene and left questioning my own thoughts on many themes presented in this very clever script. I don’t know what happened after the lights went down on the final scene and the house lights came up, but most importantly – I cared for android Alex and I do care what happened to 533 year old Zara living in a 22 year old body, and I felt sorry for her friends and family.

A very real, extremely well done, sci-fi play – something unique and a rarity on every level!

Photo credit: Jake Bush