Photo by Pia Johnson
The Temple is a really unique piece of theatre. I’m not going to lie - I found it quite baffling! Not in a bad way as it certainly wasn’t unpleasant to watch, just a tad confusing.
Regular readers might recall that typically I don’t read up on a film before I see it because the weight of expectation can shape the experience in a really unhelpful way.* However here’s my hot tip if you’re going to see The Temple; read this piece about it in The Age before you go!
I had the good fortune to be invited by The Malthouse to a preview and there seemed to have been lots of comedians invited along too, Judith Lucy - my fav - among them. After the show when I was having a drink in the venue bar with a friend, we saw cast member Ash Flanders emerge and greet Judith warmly indicating they’re good friends. She said to him, “I loved it! I didn’t understand it but I loved it!” and I confess I was pretty relieved. My friend and I weren’t the only ones!
To my mind Ash was one of two stand-outs in the small cast. He and Genevieve Giuffre were both very good and very funny.
The Malthouse website says of The Temple “Join an orgy of comedic performers for a short course on How to Be Human. Everything’s set for a group session of gags, traumas, banter and tantrums—each as hysterical as the last.“ It’s true, there was definitely some good laughs in this. Some in a ‘ha ha that’s funny’ way and some in a ‘ha ha what on earth is going on?’ way. Either way, it was an enjoyable way to spend an evening if you have an open mind and are up for a unique experience.
The Temple is on at The Malthouse Theatre 3-26 May 2019. Get the details here https://malthousetheatre.com.au/whats-on/the-temple
*If I’m honest it’s sometimes also because I don’t always find the time…