For the set, all of the walls are painted black – effectively a black box. Along the rear wall hang four brightly coloured, hula-hoops. The mood lighting has been well-designed by Chris Donnelly and smoothly operated by Meabh Walton.

        A man (Luke Fewster) enters the stage and states that in the same way as the brave pioneers came to Australia 200 years ago, the world is now looking for new pioneers to venture to Mars and populate.

       At a public meeting, young and enthusiastic ‘self-help’ guru, Robin (Will O’Mahony), bounces onto the stage and immediately engages the audience members; telling them that the self-centred ‘Me first’ approach is how they should be thinking. Continuing, he gives the onlooker 5 important aims in life.

      The lights rise to show us a domestic sitting room, where an exasperated father (Steve Turner) and his distraught wife (Andrea Gibbs) are discussing their autistic son, Sam (Luke Fewster). They are wondering why Sam and his visits to the ‘character developing’ special school seems to be having no affect whatsoever, whilst other youngsters improve greatly. There are students such as autistic Billy (Will O’Mahony), who seems to have conquered every known fact relating to the planet Mars.

      Sam’s twin sister, Wren (Felicity McKay) finds herself being in the last 200 applicants for the Mars expedition, however, Sam relies heavily on her love and care.

This is a beautiful tale that will connect with almost everyone. Writer / director, Will O’Mahony has just the right balance between humour and tragedy. The facts are fed in a way that the audience can accept and yet not feel lectured to. The cast, each of whom plays several very different characters, are magnificent, displaying the subtle twitches of a nervous autistic child’s hands, to the inconsolable parents’ tragic life – an extra special performance from Andrea. Then there is the distressed sister who wants to do her best for her brother, but all he wants to do is orbit around the room with his hula-hoop (incredible control).

This was an unusual play, reaching out to new boundaries, capturing emotions and blending them with hope. A first class play presented lovingly by a brilliant and talented team.

This is the kind of play that will be remembered for years to come.

Over the years, Lockwood’s slick, beautifully constructed comedies have been performed in Edinburgh, New York and Italy, all to rave reviews.

This hilarious, one-hour, World Premiere from producer Talei Howell-Price, can be seen at the Blue Room Theatre Studio, in the Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge each evening at 8.30 until the 4^th July.

The set is a rustic table and chairs, with red curtains as a backdrop. There are several unusual religious props and costumes – designer Cherie Hewson.

      The time is 4 months BC, and Mary (Andrea Gibbs) and Joseph (Nick Pages-Oliver) are discussing Mary’s enlarging tummy, when a booming voice from above (Sean Walsh as God) states that Mary is now bearing the son of God. Mary has a major contraction, screams ‘Jesus’, and God decides that this could be a great name for the child.

      Twenty years later, the Church is having trouble keeping their congregation and so they call for an advertising team to help promote their message. The company is run by self-centred manager (Sean Walsh) and his assistant Luna (Talei Howell-Price), who see Jesus (Shane Adamczak) going around doing his party tricks, but decide that he has not quite the body image that they are looking for. Eventually they settle on a male model with plenty of sex-appeal, Mr Lot (Brendan Hanson).

       This new recruitment programme is working well until God and the author, Damon Lockwood (voiceover played by Nick pages-Oliver) think the whole situation should be revised.

The director, Damon Lockwood, has gathered a few of his best friends to perform this new sacrilegious play. Although some may consider the script blasphemous, it creates a great deal of doubt about the preached ‘truth’ surrounding the good book. The cast are all wonderful comedians, many stand-up solo performers, with some working as a part of Perth’s most successful and talented improvisation team.

Damon’s inventive dialogue comes from years of professional storytelling and comedy work, so his writing is tight and uproarious. His work requires a special kind of dry delivery, and the whole cast operated perfectly as a team, carrying the audience along with the riotous story.

A few comical pieces of artwork from Yvonne Doherty, Pascale Giorgi and Alex Manfrin gave a novel twist to the storyline. Robert Woods dramatic sound effects along with Michael MacLean’s lighting helps the pandemonium to flow.

As always with Lockwood’s productions, every show is sold out within hours of the season starting. Get a ticket by any means – tell them Jesus needs you.

An adult show that will have you smiling days later.

This 90-minute co-production is by the Griffin Theatre Company with the Perth Theatre Company, in conjunction with the presenting partner, the City of Perth’s Winter Arts Season. This mesmerising play can be seen at the Studio Underground theatre, in the State Theatre Centre of WA, Northbridge nightly at 7.30 until 12^th July.

Designer, Marg Horwell’s setting is simple but most effective. It consists of a huge, cream shag-pile carpet with two wooden, kitchen chairs. The background is a wall of white vertical blinds that are brought to life by lighting designer, Matthew Marshall’s colourful illumination. The scene was rounded off by composer Rachael Dease’s delicate music.

        The two actors are pacing around the stage as the theatre fills.

      A voice over says ‘One’ and scene one begins. A chubby, middle-aged male chauvinist (Steve Rodgers) is sitting at his computer, filling in the application form for a dating agency. He is married but he and his wife, despite living together and still sharing a bed, both live their own sad lives. In another part of the town is an attractive but lonely nurse (Andrea Gibbs) in her mid-thirties, she is the mother of two vile kids. She is also completing the dating club’s questionnaire on her computer. Like a tennis match, we hear their answers alternating from each side of the stage. Typical of the answers given by such love seekers, the truth and descriptions given are not too accurate.

      Eventually a meeting takes place between this ‘IT genius’ and the ‘fun loving, unattached’ woman.

     Through a dozen or so, gripping and sensitive scenes, their relationship rollercoasters along.

The writer is a very young, gay man who makes the rich quality of the topic even more amazing. The bizarre storyline shows in the deepest intimacy and with the most lucid understanding, the inner feelings of both the man and the troubled young woman. Many writers who much more older and seen decades of married life would have trouble capturing such candid depth of the characters.

The director, Lee Lewis and her assistant, Luke Rogers have managed to achieve a natural flow to the characters. With two superb actors, the personalities reach an incredible richness. Very quickly, you are groaning at the total, self-centred attitude of the lecherous man and seconds later feeling true sympathy for the woman, genuinely trying her best just to get a little back from life in return for her hard input.

Andrea Gibbs is famous around Perth for her warmth on morning radio and her hilarious stand-up comedy. She starts this performance in her comedy genre and then slowly, she skilfully turns her persona into that of a pathetic woman fighting life. I have known Andrea for more years than I dare tell, and have always admired her work, but the skills shown here was something that I have not seen before, she left the whole audience stunned. Steve has been acting for decades and perfectly captured the lazy greedy slob; the two actors were symbiotic, feeding each other in perfect tune.

You need to see this play. Pitilessly frank with fantastic writing, perfectly performed.