Adelaide Fringe Review: Know Your Enemy / Talking Underwater (double bill)
★★★★★
Pictured: Promotional image, Fringe Event Page.
Archangel Theatre Co. has just made a spectacular Adelaide Fringe debut with their double-bill theatre show, Know Your Enemy and Talking Underwater.
Archangel Theatre Co. is a youth-led theatre company whose works are created by young people, for young people and the adults in their lives.
Both shows in this enthralling double bill are originals written by two young company members, Alyssa Meade and Tahlia Ward.
The first show, Know Your Enemy by Alyssa Meade, follows the day-to-day life of Alice, a teenager trying to navigate the challenges of high school.
Alice has a passion for music and wants to follow her dreams but her parents have other plans for her.
Throughout the show, Alice struggles with the pressures of school, family, the complexities of relationships and the chaos of teenage parties.
The show explores a range of important topics with mental health issues at the forefront.
Know Your Enemy creates awareness and understanding about anxiety in a unique and creative way by literally personifying the mental health issue as the character, You.
You, although serving as a physical representation of anxiety, also cleverly serves as a comic relief character and at multiple times filled the theatre with laughter.
The play, with its hilarity, also came with many thought-provoking and impactful moments, drawing the audience in and taking them on Alice’s journey.
A memorable scene in Know Your Enemy is when Alice and her friend, Kurt, have a massive blowout.
The actors' performance is incredible as they bring every emotion their characters are feeling and send them rippling through the audience.
Other characters such as Trina and Tom, Alice’s parents, offer an element of relatability for the parents and caregivers in the audience.
Being written by a young person about issues that young people face creates a space for teenagers to feel heard and help the adults in their lives to understand a bit more about what they may be going through.
The second show in the double bill, Talking Underwater by Tahlia Ward, is authentic, raw, educational, and emotional, with moments of fun of course.
The play follows a week in the life of Riley, an autistic teenager, who, due to a variety of stresses, external pressures and trauma, goes non-verbal.
During this incredible performance, the audience is able to share moments of struggle and happiness with Riley.
The play is not only entertaining but there is also something for everybody to learn; the audience gains an understanding and glimpse into the world of a neuro-divergent teenager.
Written by a young person who is autistic themselves, the show authentically raises the importance of autism awareness and acceptance.
Throughout the show, there are multiple moments when the audience is brought into Riley’s thoughts when the rest of the stage becomes still.
In these moments Riley explores and shares with the audience their thoughts and utilises these moments to educate the audience on particular matters.
There are very few theatrical performances that address such important topics in the way Talking Underwater does.
It is incredible to see the work of such talented young people being shared with others as a part of the Adelaide Fringe.
The company’s work is truly inspiring and all-around amazing, so make sure to check it out for yourself.
If you want to stay up to date with Archangel Theatre Co.’s latest productions you can follow them on Instagram, @archangel_theatre_co.
Megan Adrain