The Landlords

Disclaimer: I’ve sponsored this show as part of The Bump In Project. I have not however, been involved at any stage of this production or been privy to more than a description of what the show was going to be.

There’s also probably some spoilers…

The Landlords a one act performance about the end of the world. Or rather, the last two guys on earth, who have taken up living in their hotel lobby, with bathtub as the centrepiece. Archie (Jordan Prosser) and JC (Sam Burns-Warr) explore the last topics of conversation, eat kitkats, and plan for the future.

Prosser and Burns-Warr are a perfect counterbalance to one another: Prosser being the antic, let's-stay-here-and-accept-our-fate type, and Burns-Warr is the pragmatic I'd-rather-die-trying type. At one point they did a role reversal so subtle, most probably wouldn't have noticed. The show swings from poignant to comedic with fluidity - one moment an absurdist argument about repeating conversations, the next they're killing the poor pizza guy - and one can't but help walk out feeling sorry for all of the characters. The joy in watching this show is the subtle undercurrent of stress, as the two characters are challenged to face their own death as their power generator dies out. It is in these quiet moments that we are given a glimpse into the types of emotions we, the audience, can universally see as facing ourselves in an apocalyptic environment.

Before we move on, I want to say that I enjoyed PJ Crimmins as the pizza guy; how you stayed in that bathtub for so long without laughing, moving or doing anything is beyond me!

I'd like Prosser and Burns-Warr to take the 'Lazy Creations' challenge; remove all the 'stuff' they have onstage. I had the feeling that these guys are uncomfortable being the only things on stage, and if I gave them just one prop and the entire night to improvise, they'd be looking around for other props to make the night go quickly. Prosser, Burns-Warr, your talent should not be overshadowed by props and sets, no matter how much you might think they're necessary to the setting or the plot. You do have the talent by the way, so don't be afraid of letting go of the 'stuff'. I say this additionally because tonight there was about a half-full audience, and the amount of space meant that much of the 'electricity' between audience and performers got lost - if this show was pared down it could be easily staged in La Mama, something I'd love to see of The Landlords. In a tight space, the tension and suspense, not just between the performers, but between the performers and the audience, would simply power the world.

Moving away from set, let's talk for a moment about lighting and sound. I have to say, I really enjoyed these design aspects. The lighting was subtle, apt, and provided some great atmosphere. The same with the sound, which works out well, because they were done by the same person. A big thumbs up to Tim Bright. The only drawback for me was a slight issue: I found a lot of the time, Burns-Warr's eyes were hard to see (more hidden by eyebrows than was Prosser's) and the fact that Burns-Warr would often look down didn't help; making it harder to connect with his character. An addition of some groundrow lighting at downstage would have been good. Despite this small flaw, both the lighting and sound design does well to make the audience feel like they are part of an eerie post-apocalyptic world.

Another small comment on the sound is that the actors need to be careful in future of their vocal levels: sitting up the back, there were times at which they were speaking so fast and competing with the air-con, that I couldn't hear them.

Lastly, I would question the choice of making this a one-act show. With no interval, and a running time of 105 minutes, it was a bit on the long side. Although the audience was quiet, it was clear to me that towards the end of the show they were getting fidgety. A possibility would be to split the show in half, just after the pizza guy appears - where an anticlimax is given and the show takes a turn from being about the 'end of the world' and more about 'what if the world still exists?'

What I loved most about this show is that I was surprised about where it went and came out of the performance still thinking about it and analysing it as a comment on humanity (this is probably one of the highest compliments I could give a show). So many people could have written so many scripts on the 'two people at the end of time' concept, but so few could have done it in a way that truly gets us to question our own humanity and responses, or to feel sympathy and empathy with the characters. It is in Burns-Warr's and Prosser's acting abilities that the characters are able to do this, and so every credit should go to them (they're also the playwrights) for pulling it off.

Ultimately, this existentialist Beckett-ian play is less about how we deal with the end of the world, or how it's going to come, but about the relationships around us and the loneliness that faces us all. At the end of the show, we're given a choice: do we follow JC and walk out into the fear, or do we act like Archie and end up alone?

Unfortunately, tonight was the last night of the show. However, if you'd like to find out more about it and the performers, vist their website.

(Read the other reviews of the show involved in the project here and here)