Concrete Playground

Playwrights make a dangerous choice when they build a play around a single metaphor, because if the image isn't a perfect fit an audience will hear the script being forced into shape. Having a man frozen in ice, his whole life caught in suspension, is certainly a fascinating image but it is not actually the focus of Falk Richter's Under Ice. For, while Paul Niemand (Terry Serio) agonises over his isolation and lack of movement, he is caught up in a system that actively decomposes its waste components rather than freezes them in stasis.

It is in this decomposition - the creative HR engineering that Richter sourced from real-world consulting firms - that Under Ice is its most engaging. While Niemand's monologues do occasion the odd laugh, Serio's performance is often emotionally detached and therefore difficult to connect with. In contrast, Jason Langley and Adam Booth strike a frightening chord as the excited, inhumanly efficient consultants.

Ice is also a challenging metaphor to connect with Australian audiences, given that many people in this country have only physically encountered frozen water in refreshing drinks. Despite this, director Kellie Mackereth has drawn on more accessible tools, such as Mathew Mackereth's satirical powerpoint presentation and Rosie Chase's airport soundscape, to successfully capture the mood of suspended life on the Sydney corporate ladder.

For those interested in learning more about Australian theatre and German playwrights, there is a special talk included with Under Ice on August 27th.



We have a double pass to give away – just email your details to hello@concreteplayground.com.au with 'Under Ice Giveaway' in the subject line for your chance to win.