Return to Reason

Numbed by the droning everyday of the metropolis, three young women unite at a screaming course in search of their primordial side. Aiding them on their quest is an enormous, furry die and the hula-hoop of trust, both of which apparently come in handy when trying to playfully tease out repressed rage. But in spite of their reliable equipment they struggle to accomplish their mission, and instead take to frolicking, mocking, and creating a lot of unwarranted rumpus.

Essentially, Return to Reason is an excuse for the mixed European actresses to fool around on stage. The gap between what is promised in the blurb and what you get in practice is a mighty chasm. It’s as “dark” as watching girls amusing themselves in their school dormitory after having been sent to bed early for demeaning their modesty.

A tangerine is handed to us on entry to the theatre without any explanation. Its purpose remains largely unclear until the end of the play when, having had enough of being tormented by her fellow darlings, one of them demonstrates her girl power with a dynamic citrus manoeuvre, resulting in apparent catharsis and the downfall of an orange. In a perfect world we would take our tangerines and meet them with a similar fate after the show. Personally, despite the indignation I suffered during this play, I controlled my anger and gently unwrapped my present. In a reversal of fortune I found the fruit to be juicy and sweet.