Odd Socks – FRINGE REVIEWS

By Jarrad Bouckhaert

In a rehearsal room downstairs of the State Theatre Centre I was one of the last to enter and crossed the floor to my seat. There was a man sitting on a couch in the middle of the stage but he was already in character, and barely noticeable. It was a low-fi stage setting of a small apartment where all but blended pineapples would occur. Door frame, couch and packing boxes provided the hardware to this Megan Hollier and Gemma Hall project, that pits two opposing characters against each other for a night of introspection and cocktails.

Charles (George Ashworth) has just stopped packing his apartment to have dinner, unaware as to how his night was about to change, when Mia (Megan Hollier) bursts into what she thinks is her front door. The clash of characters is non-more apparent than at first impression although throughout the play this was a pairing that didn’t match. The dissonance created by the two allows for personal revelations and conversations that wouldn’t normally be had.

The ambitious introvert and the happy-go-lucky extrovert is always a favourite pairing of mine and it is no different on this occasion. Odd Socks is well-paced and Megan and George give great performances. It traps you in its awkwardness early and lets the actors open it up toward the end and they deliver a great climatic scene.

4/5 Stars

Odd Socks is on tonight and tomorrow (Sat 4th) at the The Flaming Locomotive Engine Room, State Theatre Centre. 

See the Fringeworld website for tickets and showtimes.