Despite first being performed almost a decade ago, the topics explored in Stephen House’s Walk in Dirt still feel current and perhaps even more relevant today.
The show follows an unnamed man as he walks through his rubbish-filled street and into the dark urban underworld, meeting a series of bizarre and fractured characters. It is through the characters that we also meet the central character, a 50-something man struggling to hold onto a solid sense of identity. Sexuality and family is discussed, as well as the suffering and frustration of the sick and lonely.
Stephen House, who recently received acclaim for Appalling Behaviour, is a solid performer who easily transitions through the multiple characters. Two of his more memorable characters include a transgender showgirl whose musical number is loaded with dramatic undertones, and a drunken derelict with a telltale song of her own. Some characters such as a frustrated single dad and a judging housewife don’t quite hit the mark. What all these characters have in common is a loneliness coupled with a strong opinion of others, a self-created illusion that is not usually nice or correct.
The show is performed in a heightened poetic language, which at times is too focused on making sure it rhymes and while it suits some parts, it also disengages the audience in others. There is an interesting pull between difference and similarity with George Kallika’s sound and music playing a central role in creating separate moods for each character while Rick McGill’s purple costumes tie them all together.
Walk in Dirt won’t suit everyone’s taste, as it seems so focused on painting a picture of despair and darkness that the attempts to find redemption and hope aren’t enough.
Walk in Dirt
PICA Performance Space
Feb 14-16, Feb 18-19, 9:30pm
Tickets $30
