Teenagers are weird.
Sometimes they’re capable of amazing feats, unfettered by the knowledge of what they can and can’t do. Other times they struggle to understand that no, cricket doesn’t cause pregnancies. Every moment to them is precious, no matter how strange adults perceive them. And it’s that preciousness that For the First Time captures so well.
This is your classic no-frills improv show. Suggestions are requested from the audience prior to the beginning of the show, asking us what we wanted when we were teenagers. For some us, it was a couple of years ago. For others, an entire lifetime. It does a great job at slipping on those rose-tinted nostalgia goggles that colours the rest of the show.
Our MC, Simran Rughani takes the stage and does a great job bringing the non-improv fans up to speed on the medium. She looks confident, bubbly and a little bit cheeky. The MC persona fades away quickly in favour of an array of characters, which she plays with a vulnerable sweetness that has everyone rooting for her.
The most prominent character in the cast is John, played by Campbell Wright, who flits between in-scene action and direct narration. He plays his obsessions perfectly, going from intense desire to pitiable begging within seconds. His biggest highlight is learning cricket terminology in real time, never letting his lack of real life knowledge affect his character’s passion for cricket.
Hugo Beale loves a scene twist. There is no greater joy on his face than when he upends a scene with a absurd offer that has his cast mates pivoting on the fly. The audience loves it when he mimes yanking John’s cricket bat, only to discover its handle is as small as a matchstick. His comedic brain is always active and ready to rumble.
Bringing her classic bombshell energy is Millie Osborne who continues to make anything she says sexy, even as a supposedly 16 year old child. Within the depths of this uncomfortability is genuine hilarity as she teases the audiences with winks and coy looks. She’s a stage presence magnet and nails the tone she’s going for.
Austin Harrison is our final main cast member who brings his master-of-all level of skill expression to the show. His ability to switch between completely different characters on a whim is phenomenal, and it’s almost impossible to believe that he’s playing both a stoic cricket dad and a virgin homeroom teacher in the same play.
Rounding out the cast is our musical accompaniment in Isaac Thomas with a guitar that I would describe as mega-hollow. The tunes are anything but. With perfectly timed riffs, frequent musical interjections, and even a song to polish off the night, it’s always a delight to hear his strumming.
For the First Time is a tremendously efficient piece of charming theatre that makes you feel young again, no matter how long ago that actually was. It’s a show that captures the precious, fleeting moments of adolescence, no matter how absurd and insignificant they might feel looking back.
This one’s for you, Richard Hadden.
Disclosure: As a somewhat active member of the Wellington performing arts community, I may be quite familiar with a number of the performers in this show.Having said that, I am not a liar, and there is zero bias in my reviews, shut up.
Also, tickets were provided to me for free by the production. Literally changes nothing, though.