Lorna Irvine reviews a production that's 'appallingly hilarious' yet 'hilariously appalling'.
A bargain basement Versace family, all bling and trashy glamour, invite us into their house party. This house is not so much Palace of Versailles as soap-cum quiz show set. Inspired by a video of a boring gathering found online (with five viewers only) which may or may not be a family celebration, complete with an awkward guy, cake, magazines, and manic dancing grandmother, Gob Squad, a ridiculously blond(e) wigged quartet, comprised of Sarah Thom, Damian Rebgetz, Tatiana Saphir and Simon Will, send up the money-obsessed, slack-jawed dysfunctional families who dress to impress, pose as Messianic rock gods and live life vicariously through social media.
Asking bigger questions about identity, art as commodity, the invisibility of the older and less attractive, the impact of our every transaction on the planet, audience manipulation, ageing, sexuality, conflict, race, religion, family and love, they just want the spontaneity of childhood back; the feeling of freedom, of living entirely in the moment. So they grab four volunteers from the audience, film them as the anonymous family in the found video and flip the show on its head: Gob Squad become the spectators.
And this is at the heart of the performance--are you a passive consumer or an active participant in your life? Why, when we settle down into our city dwellings, surrounded by people, are we at our most lonely? What is wonderful about this Western Society is that different people laugh and sigh and knowingly shake their heads at entirely different sections. There is a density to the writing that cuts right to the bone...and hurts. It's also appallingly hilarious--and, at times, hilariously appalling.
Inevitably, the party grinds to its weary halt. The bonhomie can't last--how could it? Sarah's lonely. Tatiana is accused of being an Argentinian stereotype, Damian and Simon engineer what they want to hear from one of the attractive male audience members to paper over their own inadequacies.
They are a gobby lot, all right, but they have something worthwhile, poignant and humane to say. Really rather beautiful. With gilt, comes guilt.
Gob Squad: Western Society is part of this year’s Behaviour festival.
RSS