Round and round the Brisbane Ferris Wheel goes, why tourists pay $30 to ride it nobody knows.
At least, that’s what occurred to me while watching the visual piece in the background set the backdrop for TAM and Metro Arts latest production – Wheel of Fortune. Loosely based on the Austrian play La Ronde, which at its time of performance in the 1920s was quite controversial for its sexual themes, it all seems quite harmless now like a regular Friday in the valley.
What it does maintain from the original text, is its playful exploration of people from all classes, genders, sexual identities and daily struggles. Whether your biggest struggle is trying to elicit more money from your sugar daddy, or finding your way home with men leering over you each short, interconnected story unfolds while sharing another little fleeting thought, like a train passing over you in South Bank.
This play features a huge cast, which to its credit, masters the illusion of a series of vignettes. There were mixed performances – while some scenes felt like a moment in time others featured accents that missed the mark.
Overall, the performance works together as a whole. If you only pinpoint one line you can’t possibly understand the full circle, right? But if you put all the working parts together you find yourself being swept up in the wheel of fortune with everybody else. There are laugh out loud scenes as well as beautifully constructed, hear-a-pin-drop moments.
Running from 31st May to 9th June at Metro Arts Brisbane, step through this revolving door and see where you come out.
THREE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Wheel of Fortune is running matinees and evening shows at Metro Arts Theatre, Brisbane from 31st May to 9th June. Tickets can be purchased here.
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