Nothing is Really Difficult

Inside a purpose-built plywood cube on George Square, three grown men run around, striking poses and indulging in slapstick behaviour, with the odd flash of profundity and occasionally sinister undertones. None of them utters a word, and at one point, one appears to pee in his partner’s mouth. Yep, this is the Fringe all right.

Billed as ‘a show about nothing’, Theatergroep WAK’s Adelaide Fringe Award-winning production sells itself short on purpose. There’s enough evidence to suggest the performance is an examination of the male condition: the action, while brilliantly choreographed, is tinged with alpha male competitiveness; the three performers even compare crotch bulges at one point. Wisely though, this subtext does not overpower the show; it’s quite possible to go along purely for the joy of watching a man be scared and then enthralled by his own shadow puppet.