By Nick Pilgrim
As I queued last Friday night to see Robert the Octopus, I overheard the following snippet of conversation.
“When you see a PO PO MO CO show, expect the unexpected. Even if you never know what you’re quite in for, you’ll always be entertained.”
I cannot think of a better customer testimonial or endorsement for this independent queer collective.
In 2024 I watched Stickybeak at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Set over a single day, that fifty-five-minute presentation was a clever snapshot into the quirky rules, rituals and trespassing which impact our daily lives. Consisting of both short and long form vignettes, I described Stickybeak as the lovechild of Kath and Kim, Neighbours, Play School, Circus Oz, the Snuff Puppets, and a hectic theatre sports challenge combined.
Later that year PO PO MO CO presented a female-centric version of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. (Reworking the Bard’s tale from Lady Macbeth’s unhinged point of view, gave his classic bloodbath impressive comic spin.)
To say those shows were two of the craziest experiences I have critiqued in my fifteen years of reviewing, was only the beginning. Robert the Octopus takes the company’s off-kilter brand of theatricality to the next tentacled level.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall during the team’s development process, and that they are prepared to test conventions, push boundaries and take risks.
I was laughing out loud from the get-go. What better way to forget a dreary working week with such a mood lift?
For anyone who has suffered from severe foot-in-mouth trying to attract a new romantic interest, the PO PO MO CO have built their latest offering around that time-honoured scenario and absolutely run with it. We’ve all been there! But in this instance, Robert the Octopus adds one significant twist.
In short, Sadie (played by Mich McCowage) has a serious crush on her work-colleague, Georgia (Hallie Goodman). Stumbling blind through a series of one-sided phone messages, she is desperate for a deeper connection. When her suggestions to see a movie or grab a coffee fall painfully flat, Sadie somehow takes measures to the extreme.
Purchasing a new pet that will surely get Georgia’s attention, immediately propels the story into farcical high gear. Maintaining that manic level of energy for the remainder of its seventy-minute running time, showers Robert the Octopus with instant cult classic status.
Underscored by peppy musical interludes and vibrant set design, viewers are in for a sensory treat. This really feels like a lost Tim Burton or John Waters film.
Milking the bizarre humour for all its worth, McCowage and Goodman are nothing short of fearless. The quintessential yin and yang, this odd couple is matched beat for beat by Lily Fish as Robert. As a group, the trio utilise their significant gifts for verbal and physical comedy in spades.
Furthermore, Fish has that rare on-stage presence which is a dramaturg’s and movement coordinator’s dream come true. Her double-jointed talents which rival Rowan Atkinson’s Mr Bean, brilliant facial contortions and commanding stage voice left this critic in speechless awe.
Rewarded by madcap writing from Alex Duncan, their words are brought to colourful life via Kimberly Twiner’s dynamic direction.
Despite its compact running time, this is a show which takes audiences everywhere. Painted in various shades of light and dark, I was equally impressed how fast facts about octopi are gleefully woven into the power-shifting narrative.
You will believe!
Without giving too much away, Robert the Octopus is a multi-layered show for humour-hungry adults looking to step outside the theatrical mainstream.
One of the highlights from this year’s Midsumma Festival, here’s hoping that a return season slithers its way back very soon.
