Eight former friends and their partners and ex partners, all in their 20s, come together to commemorate the life of Bean (Jacob Gamble), who was taken far too soon.
Making an unlikely appearance after five and a half years without so much as a “boo” is Sweet Pea (Elliot Coleman).
Photos by Connor Dariol
Some welcome him, others do not. Only at the end of the play do we find out why.
With pointed party hats at the ready, this is a gathering heavily into the booze and illicit substances.
Soon enough, we find out that a number of the assembled have fallen out with one another.
Hosting the event to honour Bean is the hyper Blondie (Julia Gasparini).
They were an item, although after Bean was imprisoned (the reason for which we find out late in the piece), Blondie cheated on him with Kitten (Olivia Fynmore-Green).
Star (Megan Scolyer-Gray) is coupled up with Moon (Charlie Boscolo). Star’s decision to share private information, without asking Moon first, causes friction.
Early days, Sweet Pea used to be with Birdy (Chanda Anderson Prior).
Now, Sweet Pea turns up with Baby (Lachlan Seal), whom he calls his partner, even though they just broke up.
Putting the hard word on Baby is bad boy Angel (Zakary Pietsch), who has no time for Sweet Pea.
What is so unusual about this “funeral” is that a dead Bean is seated on the couch, which creeps out some of those present.
More than that, in his addled, drug affected mind, Sweet Pea speaks with Bean.
Bean was a few years Sweet Pea’s senior and cared for him as a protective older brother.
Bean is hoping Sweet Pea isn’t destined for the same fate as him.
Guilt is a resonating theme in the play, as the colourful characters scrap and call each other out, revisiting old memories.
Written by Lachlan Seal and directed by Kirsty Wilson, Sweat Pea is staged by new production company Mover’s Call.
Set up by three graduates from the Ballarat Arts Academy, being 2020 alumni, its mantra is to facilitate emerging artists, destigmatising people and subjects.
In this case, Sweet Pea deals with death, miscarriage, abortion, substance abuse and addiction, grief, panic and suicide.
You may take from this that the work is maudlin, but that isn’t the case. It is a bold and brazen piece, where a great deal of dirty linen is aired.
Emotion is laid bare and queerness celebrated. It has a fly on the wall feel to it. Personalities clash and buried secrets are revealed.
It says to me that life is anything but straight forward.
In fact, it is messy and we are constantly mucking up, but unless we can forgive ourselves, how can we possibly move forward with hope?
I was suitably impressed by the artistry involved in Sweet Pea.
The ensemble inhabited their characters with aplomb. All had their opportunity to shine and none took a backward step. They pout and pontificate with alacrity.
The movement and colour injected into the work are among its strengths. The latter includes set design, costuming and evocative make up (by Olivia Tiplady).
Sweat Pea is characterised by an explosion of angst, introspection, narcissism, self-loathing, desire and love.
Director Wilson keeps the action moving, with seamless transition between scenes.
Driven by fertile imagination, Mover’s Call has announced itself as a company well worth following.
Sweat Pea is playing at Theatre Works’ Explosives Factory until 9th November, 2024.
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