Getting Rekt
Union Theatre
On a warm September night as we took our seats at the Union theatre we were met with a gentle elderly figure, sitting alone onstage in a wheelchair. The resident of a care home, quietly but insistently asking to be taken to the toilet. It’s an uncomfortable reminder of the state of the country’s care sector and a quiet but quite brilliant opening to Getting Rekt; the new one-person play written and starring Jamie Nowski.
And you’d be forgiven for not expecting what was to follow: An hour-long, grime-laden whirlwind, all beats and no breaks, part comic caper and part coming-of-age heartbreaker.
Rek is the next big thing, an up-and-coming producer who’s music, it just so happens, is so underground you wouldn’t have heard it. He also just so happens to spend most of his working hours at the local care home amongst a myriad of older souls, including the remarkable and enigmatic Zofia. What follows is a road movie-esque quest, inspired by a friend’s birthday and a favourite song, to seek out sunflowers in December.
Expertly crafted by Finella Waddilove’s direction, Getting Rekt keeps you on your toes throughout. Its heart-in-your-mouth, heart-on-your-sleeve stuff as the action unfolds at a lightning pace. It’s a hilarious journey we are treated to, brought to life with a handful of props and a truckload of imagination.
One-person plays often stand or fall on the virtuosity of their performer and, thankfully, this production rises like the audience at its curtain call. Nowski’s energy is matched only by his dedication to storytelling (and the impeccable lighting and sound cues that map themselves to his freneticism.) Charming and cheeky, there’s a twinkle in his eye as he jumps from role to role; accents, physicality and comic timing pitched perfectly throughout. These characters are cut from truth and we recognise them because of it, at times infatuated and at others infuriated.
The script is alive with wonder as well as a sincerity that grounds the show. Beneath the hijinks runs a commitment to authentically presenting lives not often represented onstage or in wider media. To age is to be erased but not so tonight. Like a seasonal buddy comedy, Rek and Zofia learn, grow and laugh together. There’s magic in the music, moments and memories they share.
And it’s a joy to witness them grow individually as a result of what they experience together.
For, ultimately, this is a play about identity. It delivers a poignant, heartfelt message, wrapping its arm around the audience whilst philosophising but never sermonising. For a play about identity it’s happily unsure of its own; a laugh-a-minute comedy, a great night out and also a reminder to take stock of all those moments that build a life. Whether it’s a friend’s birthday, a favourite song
or sunflowers in December.
Reviewer: Ethan Taylor
Photo: Miranda Mazzarella