by Leo Holbrook
Valentine’s Day is for best friends too!
Stupid Stupid is the debut clowning, cabaret double-act of real life best friends, Ava O’Brien, and Peggie Barnes. Co-directed by Katie Hill and Rachel McLean, who, from the Valentine’s-themed programmes left on our seats, are also good friends.
The show begins with some light crowdwork, where the two, literally inseparable friends, explain that it is Ava’s birthday (she shows one audience member her passport to prove it), and tell us all the things she wants for her birthday. These include a crocodile, a chess set, and a ring.
After this, the performers display a multitude of talents in short segments, each involving Ava’s birthday wishes; such as, a game of leapfrog, catching sausages thrown by the audience, a sexy tango, a marriage proposal, and relationship counselling by sock puppets. The whole thing involves many hijinks, flirtation, and mild body horror like surgery on clothes, and creative use of balloons.
The antics are tied together by a strong message of friendship, exploring what it means to be so close that you lose sight of each other and take your relationship for granted. The celebration of what it means to have someone you can always rely on to have your back anchors the silliness in something real and wholesome.
The space is beautifully used, with old-timey theatre snacks and some of the show’s props on the audience’s tables in front, adding to the cabaret feel. There is also good use of lighting and sound effects to differentiate scenes. The Valentine’s themed programs on the seats carry the message of the show with funny, heartfelt notes from Barnes, O’Brien, and co-directors, Katie Hill and Rachel McLean. There’s no part of this show that isn’t full of love.
Ava O’Brien is so full of charm, and her audience interaction is genuine and fun. She plays up the spoilt birthday haver well and I truly wish her a happy birthday. Peggie Barnes’ approach to physical comedy is absolutely top notch. Her antics are so entertaining and my gosh, she is strong! Even carrying Ava on and off stage in some parts. They are each other’s perfect foils, and their choreography reveals the trust and connectedness that only years of knowing someone intimately can bring.
The one gripe I have is that there were a few parts where there was a lot of action occurring close to the floor of the stage. Some of this was hard to catch over the heads of other audience members so I missed what was going on in some parts. The segments were short enough that I knew I wouldn’t have to wait long for a new thing to happen, and the majority of the show was fine.
All in all, Stupid Stupid is a buffoonish, sweet, and at times raunchy show that left a smile on my face the whole way home. Lovers of vaudeville and a really well balanced double-act shouldn’t miss out on seeing it.
Though, I don’t think I’ll be able to look at a balloon the same way again.
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