Brisbane Festival - What's Wrong With Gregor Post?

I stole this image from the Brisbane Festival website.

What's Wrong With Gregor Post? I have no fucking idea - aspergers? ADHD? Too much time on the shrooms? I couldn't really answer the question, but it was pretty solid entertainment for fifty minutes that's crammed full of political in-correctness, and at such a small price you don't really have anything to lose by going to watch it. You're also supporting the Brisbane Festival and local artists. So yaaaay.

What's Wrong With Gregor Post? is a show about the titular character recounting some of his fabulous globe-trotting escapades. Through some tricky conventions and unbelievable stories, aided by some kind of narrator, Post communicates various tales of his travels that are remarkable to the extent that its started to question whether they happened at all. What's Wrong With Gregor Post? is a delicious black comedy that revolves around the power of imagination. Possibly.

I enjoyed it like a movie - it was light, snappy entertainment, but it just didn't manage to immerse me into the dramatic world (or meaning, until after), and I found my mind wandering an awful lot, pondering the mysteries of the universe but primarily reflecting my boring personal life. However, Post's adventures, which are told episodically, have bizarre and unpredictable twists which never fail to entertain. I'm pretty sure other patrons of the show were pissed off since I kept on laughing at pretty much everything, but to be honest any speech that involve the words 'moist' and 'dense' in the same sentence are a fucking win. The script was full of snappy throw-away comments that were hilariously crass and surely would have sent some monocles flying.

The setting and lighting were nice and simple. The set itself was simple, but crammed full of objects including lights, signs and furniture which expanded for Post's adventures which filled and flourished the minimalist stage (the rest you can fill in with your imagination. AHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAA! <- what a pun). The music, which combined lots of pop  music extracts with (what I think was) an original score was utilised really well, setting and assisting the mood in an unobtrusive manner.

I almost liked the Metro Arts theatre, but the fact that we could hear all the music blaring from the coffee shop outside, including 'Lines on Palms' by Josh Pyke, which in turn reminded me of Bree, made me froth wildly with unconditional, incandescent rage.

I made sure to buy Benjamin Coconut-Smashing Schostakowski - I call him that without his knowledge, seeing as he doesn't actually know who I am - a drink afterwards, partly to thank him for the quirky piece he put on for us, but also out of guilt at the fact I rocked up the Metro with Thom and Othelia somewhat inebriated after downing a bunch of beers to obliterate any memories or emotions about my lack of love life (although, writing shit like this all the time, I'm pretty sure people - myself included - agree I do deserve it).

Schostakowski is a talented guy, I really enjoyed What's Wrong With Gregor Post? but I just didn't find it exceptionally thought provoking or ground-breaking. But who the fuck cares - it's got awesome dry humour, it's not prudish and it's inherently entertaining. By the way, this isn't a review, I'm way too drunk for this to be a review. Yay Ben!

Tickets for Benjamin Coconut-Smashing Schostakowski's 'What's Wrong With Gregor Post?' range from $15 to $20, and is showing from 8th to 11th of September, 2011 at Metro Arts Theatre. Book by visiting the Brisbane Festival Website or by calling FoxTix on 1300 111 369 .