This is a Door
Pop up Playground, Theatre Works
27 July 2012
Theatre Works
to 29 July

There are rumours that Cameron Woodhead and I tried to exchange a pash last night.

I’m not confirming or denying anything because what happens at Play Club, stays at Play Club.

But I know that it was the most fun I’ve had in a theatre and I want to go back and do it all again.

Pop Up Playground are Robert Reid (serious playwright), Sayraphim Lothian (public art guru) and  Ben McKenzie (uber geek). They’ve been playing about town for the last few months and This is a Door is an unmissable chance to join in with a weekend of games and play at Theatre Works.

It’s time to run away from the computer and play with real people. Turn off your phone and play with real friends. Just join in and play.

The playground is Theatre Works space that’s decked out as a carnival. Games Master Ben welcomed everyone in a top hat, tails and Dr-Who-as-owls t-shirt and introduced the Game Runners who will guide and help and tickle you if you’re not laughing*.

Some games are easy, some involve thinking and strategising, some are cooperative and us competitive types are well catered for.

And if you need a break or just want to watch, there are craft tables. Craft tables!

I want craft tables at every theatre now.  We could make stuff while waiting for friends to arrive, craft is more fun than drinking at interval and how better to express your true feelings about a show than through craft. In fact, no more wordy dull reviews. Can someone just sit us down at a craft table at the end of an opening night (with a glass of wine, of course) and let our inner-children show what we really think. Forget the blog, maybe I should just have a theatre scrapbook.

But back to the games. Last night I got to ruin a gay wedding, pitched a big watermelon tourist attraction, was second runner-up for Prom Queen (and if I’d listened more carefully to the rules, I would have made it!), was turned into a zombie and ingeniously initiated into a cult.

And that was only a taste of the games on offer. I missed the intrigue of London’s Burning (I was at the craft table) and so wanted to play the one with glow sticks and fluro vests and the one with balloons.

Today’s 11.00 session has already started,
But there’s 1.30, 6.30 and 9.00
Or tomorrow (Sunday)  there are 11.00, 1.30 sessions and Playful Salon (arty discussion of games and playing) at 3.30.

As grown ups, we sometimes forget how much fun it is to play and how much better we feel when we have real fun with real people.

All the details are here. I promise you’ll love it. And if you know someone who really needs to smile and laugh, buy them a a ticket as well.

* This also may or may not be true.

Review link: http://sometimesmelbourne.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/must-go-to-this-weekend.html