COURSE RELATED COSTS
Basement Theatre Studio, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
29/05/2012 - 02/06/2012
Production Details
A new pitch-black comedy written by ensemble member Colin Garlick and directed by ensemble member Pete Coates.
Being a student can be tough. After all, there’s only so much time you can spend drinking, surfing, and messing around with your mates, all the while keeping Mum convinced that you’re a star pupil. Not to even mention the always dire financial situation. What the hell do you do for cash when your course related costs money runs out? How do you afford that slab of Double Brown and ounce of Coro Gold then?
For flatmates Pete, Monty and AJ the answer couldn’t be more obvious. Why not get some use out of their developing chemistry and entrepreneurial skills, and cook up Auckland’s best ever batch of methamphetamine!
It seems like the perfect plan, 6 months of cooking and selling equals 3 years of studying and partying. What could possibly go wrong? Well, add to the toxic mixture a junkie ex-girlfriend, a sociopathic crime boss and, inexplicably, a door-knocking conservative politician, and this suburban P-lab is all set to explode!
The Factory Floor season is Outfit Theatre’s annual development initiative. Starting with 2011’s ‘Love After Dark“, The Factory Floor is designed to give Outfit Theatre’s ensemble actors the opportunity to expand their creative skills into writing or directing, and also to give new emerging performers the opportunity to work with, and within, the Outfit Theatre’s ensemble.
Rating: R15. Contains violence, strong language and adult themes.
Starring: Brad Johnson, Jordan Mooney, Tarquinn Kennedy, Joel Herbert, Chris Tempest, Sarah Graham, Jacqui Nauman, Devlin Bishop and Andrew Ford.
Praise for The Outfit Theatre Company:
“if you like ensemble playing it doesn’t get much better than this” Theatreview – Boys Life, 2011
“Hurrah for Outfit Theatre Company”Theatrescenes – Short + Sweet Theatre Festival, 2011
“a highly entertaining show” NZ Herald – Love After Dark, 2011
The Basement STUDIO, Auckland
Tuesday 29 May – Saturday 2 Jun 2012, 8:00 p.m.
Plus Friday 1 Jun 2012, 10:00 p.m.
1 hour 15 minutes
STANDARD – ADULT: $18.00
STANDARD – CONCESSION: $13.00 Seniors, Students & Actors Equity members
Discounts: Group 6+ | Mafia Discount
Producer: Ema Barton
Lighting: Brad Gledhill
Set Design: Sarah Graham
Drugs are bad, mmmkay?
Review by James Wenley 31st May 2012
You just know that things are going to come crashing down in Course Related Costs, the only questions are how, and how badly.
The set-up is this: After the mainstay of the student drinking budget, ‘course related costs’ has dried up, Pete, Monty and AJ have installed a P lab in their flat. The three are affable white trash slackers, living in squalor, easy going and worrying little about any potential consequences. There are two worn couches, a TV, Star Wars and Trainspotting posters on the wall, and rubbish is stacked on piles on the floor – part of a noticeable theatre trend in Auckland (These are the Skeletons of Us, Tigerplay) that seems to be focus on grungy living and characters that barely look after themselves, not to mention their surroundings. [More]
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
Chaos, wit, everyday dialogue, tears, laughter, shock, fear and drama flawlessly combined
Review by Melisa Martin 30th May 2012
Outfit Theatre Company’s world debut of Course Related Costs by Colin Garlick burst out of its rehearsal space wrapping and spilled onto the ‘factory floor’ in an impeccable opening night performance at The Basement last night.
Set in a typical student flat, three flatmates come up with a plan to cook top-grade methamphetamine for a sociopathic crime boss, for six months, for a massive cash return; as if being a student weren’t already hard enough!
Seemingly simple enough, add to the concoction a psychotic, crack-head ex-girlfriend, a nice but nosey big sister, an out-of-luck National MP, two half-wit delivery guys, and their well-devised plan explodes into a chain of unfortunate events.
Brad Johnson, Tarquinn Kennedy and Jordan Mooney, as flatmates Pete, AJ and Monty, share an airtight chemistry, setting a picture-perfect scene in which we join them in the living room of their flat as the adventure unfolds.
Playwright Colin Garlick has flawlessly combined chaos with a repertoire of witty, everyday dialogue, tears, laughter, shock, fear and plenty of drama. I was particularly impressed with the acknowledgment of an audience, in asides from different characters as part of a unique story-telling technique.
Director Peter Coates has fashioned a fine piece of New Zealand comedy and turned the intimate space at The Basement into the ultimate, suburban crime-scene.
In an irresistible crowd favourite, the musical talents of drivers-for-hire Randy (Chris Tempest) and Earl (Joel Herbert) are put to the test in a committed road trip revival of the animal kingdom’s number one hit single from a certain popular film.
Outfit can be exceptionally proud of their hard work and confident that this developmental season will be a great success; the ensemble is definitely one to keep your eye on.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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