Ever wondered what kids are thinking these days? Go to see Whiskey & Boots’ latest production. Their signature ‘Headphone Verbatim’ performance is enthralling, entertaining, and profound.

They talked to people from 7 years old to 15 years old and edited the interviews. For this performance two actors listen to them through their headphones and perform them word for word. This way the actors are true to the interviewees’ phrasing, emphasis, and accent, and even come to embody their gestures and postures. The actors are compelling in their becoming the kids.

The interviews pivot on common questions like, what’s it like being your age? What scares you? What does the future look like? There are about 10 interviewees in this performance, who are from Mount Lawley and Bold Park Community School. Their answers are endearing, and yet frighteningly responsible and serious. Many mention tax of all things, war, guns, and America, getting good grades, and the importance of maintaining your sense of self. They also unanimously advise everyone to be kind to each other. Perhaps with the exception of the mister 7 who is consumed with zombies and vampires.

There was a surprisingly articulate understanding of privilege from one respondent, which perhaps was enough to address the fairly comfortable demographic. The set is a simple but effective piece of scaffolding containing climbing frames and ropes, so that the actors can move into a different position for each verbatim performance.

There are also two excellent musicians who play guitar and keyboard riffs during the interviews and break up the performances with specially composed songs that reinforce the feel of the interviews and take up key phrases and themes from what we’ve just heard. The musicians are an important part of the show, but the sound was too loud in the session I attended.

Nevertheless this is a beautifully curated show, commanding insight and respect for the young people talking.