I was running late and I knew it. Thumping through the empty Canberra streets, I had a moment of panic upon sighting the massive circus tent outside the Canberra Theatre. Was this the wrong place? Was this first assignment for Out in Canberra going to be a complete wash?
The confusion did not end upon entering the theatre. Having received tickets to Bell Shakespeare’s production of The Comedy of Errors only a couple of hours before, I was expecting an elegant period play. Instead, I walked into what was essentially a disco ball of flashing neon lights. It was a little disorientating.

Disorientating…but fabulous. The company has completely modernised the play, and with the exception of a few awkward moments, it works wonderfully.
The story is essentially a farce about two sets of twin brothers, separated at birth but let loose on the same town for one evening. One set of twins, both named Antipholus, is the lord and master of the other set, both named Dromino. One Antipholus lives in the town with a wife, a girlfriend and debtors, while the other is merely passing through, baffled but enjoying the spoils of his long lost brother’s labour. Both poor Drominos are systematically beaten for getting instructions wrong, as masters and servants are constantly getting mixed up.

While all the actors are impressive, it is the women who stand out. The wife of the local Antipholus, Adriana, has her sister Luciana staying with her. When we first meet Luciana she’s lying in a sunbed in a leopard skin bikini. It truly sets the tone. To imagine the scene-stealing sisters, picture Snooki or a particularly loud Kardashian, then add a broad, bogan Aussie accent. Jude Henshall’s Luciana is particularly cinematic, with her body language and facial expressions reminding me strongly of Sophie Lee’s Tania in Muriel’s Wedding, screeching at the end “I’M BEAUTIFUL!” with her face scrunched up and her mouth frozen in an indignant snarl. Luciana’s scene on a vibrating washing machine is especially memorable.

Low points were few and far between, as both the characters and the slapstick comedy were enormously engaging. However, some of the devices were not as successful as they could have been. Scenes were consistently changed with neon lights backlighting the stage as a quirky silhouette tottered about. Slow motion segments were also perhaps a little overused. These devices might work well on film, or perhaps in a more “street” theatre setting, but in the Canberra Theatre they just seemed a little forced. Still, it was a treat to see someone trying something a little different.

The Comedy of Errors is playing at the Canberra Theatre until 9 November. Click here for tickets