Pink Milk – New Theatre – Review by Frank L

Written by Lauren-Shannon Jones

Until Jul 9th

Underneath the printing of the title “Pink Milk” in the programme notes it states “a dystopian love story”. The adjective “dystopian” is defined in an online dictionary as “as bad as can be; characterized by human misery”. The expression “love story” connotes a story about love. The expression a “dystopian love story” is an oxymoron, there is a conflict within it. “Pink Milk” connotes a milk that has been contaminated by some other element, probably blood. Therefore before the performance begins there is an expectation that what is about to be performed will reveal human misery in relation to a love story… a juxtaposition.

As it is a love story the plot involves Anna Matthews (Megan O’Flynn), who lives on the top floor of a high rise apartment block and her only visitor is Auster (Shane Robinson) who is a delivery worker. She never leaves the apartment but broadcasts to the world online. In a parallel world, media goddess Aisa Morta (Megan O’Flynn), who monopolises the airwaves, hears whispering that a rebel is coming to overthrow her. The name of the rebel is Auster (Shane Robinson).

The set consists of two distinct areas in Anna’s apartment, which is domestic in scale, and a separate more commercial area where treasury delivery boxes are stacked. This is the terrain of Auster. When these spaces convert into Aisa and Auster the Rebel lighting effects are used to transform the spaces.

The actual means of delivery represent somewhat surprisingly not a future world but a world almost forgotten. Each time Auster delivers a parcel to Anna he presents a duplicate piece of paper from a paper pad to be signed by her.  In the contemporary world where acknowledging the receipt of a parcel is done by writing a signature with a stylus on a hand held screen, this use of paper creates a sense of a world recently past and a certain nostalgia which does not fit easily into the ambience otherwise sought to be created.

The play lasts a mere 60 minutes. As two parallel universes are being described there is a great deal of information needed to be relayed in a comparatively brief period. In addition, according to the programme notes, the underlying themes included the themes of the effects of “being watched and worshipped” and of “the threat of letting someone in”. As it was not always obvious which of the two parts each actor was playing, these themes were somewhat lost in the telling.

Cast
Megan O’Flynn
Shane Robinson

Creative team
Set Design: Janna Kemperman and Cara Coyle in collaboration with Algorithm
Sound design and original score: Dylan Tonge-Jones
Lighting: Cathy O’Carroll
Graphic design: Andre K’por

Produced by Anthony Fox