Not A Boring Life
In a London flat, three close friends gather to honour their late companion, Quinn. The evening takes an unexpected turn as they uncover cryptic clues about their enigmatic friend. What starts as a night of memories spirals into a chaotic quest filled with mystery and laughter.
'Not a Boring Life' is a fast-paced comedy that unravels hidden secrets. As the trio dig deeper, they discover more than they bargained for about Quinn and themselves.
Filled with humour and heart, this FRINGE WORLD show in Floreat will have you laughing one moment and pondering the next. Join us for a whirlwind adventure that's anything but boring!
This show begins with a 'ballsy' speech from producer/stage manager David Wall introducing the performers individually as they assume their positions on and off stage. Offbeat and original, it sets the tone. The play tells the story of three ladies brought together to help clear out the house of their book club mate Quinn, who’s been killed by a bus in Paris.
Writer, producer and performer Yvette Wall plays Charls, world weary after several marriages yet quirky enough to have a naked statue of David adorning her house, Colleen Bradford plays Susan, a 25 year veteran of Sainsbury’s supermarket who has a fertile imagination seemingly developed from her love of books, and Fiona Forster is Marion, the housewifey type, a bit more sensible and practical than the other two. Together these three besties attempt to unravel the mystery of Quinn, but it seems the more they find out, the less they know. Contemplating their friend’s demise also causes the ladies to critically consider their own lives.
Yvette, Colleen and Fiona all inhabit their characters with relish, gleefully hamming it up but also carrying the narrative, as there is a lot of telling needed to present the lightly farcical storyline. And the audience laps it up, enjoying the journey with them. The writing also ponders bigger issues (but without getting too heavy) such as how well do we really know other people, even our close friends? And what is a life well-lived?
The highlights for me come later in proceedings after experienced performer Kerry Goode takes the stage as Mrs Partridge, an elderly lady who drops round to share cake with her neighbour Quinn, unaware that Quinn has carked it. But who is Mrs Partridge? Is she a forlorn and frail old lady or is she a singing, dancing party girl with secrets of her own?
It’s great that this show utilises a venue new to FRINGE WORLD in the Cambridge Bowling Club at Floreat. Put together by Off The Wall Productions, Not A Boring Life is community theatre at its best – entertaining, thought-provoking, accessible and fun.