Choreographed, written and performed by Martin del Amo, Scary Piece of Work at the Sydney Opera House is perhaps the most bizarre show I have ever seen. Pitched as a work that explores fear, its universality and our individual responses to it, this one-person production was a cocaine-fuelled fever dream that left audiences wondering what the actual fuck just happened.
The creative premise is sound. This idea that fear is at once universal and something we all experience, while being deeply personal and individual in our responses to it. It’s a fascinating discussion. One that resonates greatly, given the instability of the world we currently find ourselves in. However, this did not materialise on stage.
Reflective ramblings around fear, differences between irrational and rational fear, a dream he once had, and how everyone suddenly thinks they’re a storyteller are broken up with contemporary movement pieces and exaggerated facial expressions. At one point del Amo stood off to one side, donning a top hat and drank slowly from a glass of water. Why? I don’t know. Was this simply a dramatic drinks break? Most likely.
The dialogue is infused with a dry wit that is amusing, at times clever, but deeply strange. The audience exudes a more cautious chuckle rather than a belly laugh as they question whether or not del Amo is actually joking.
At one stage, the performer begins to list the things he is afraid of. Some are serious – “I am afraid of abuse”, and some not so serious – “I am afraid of shitting my pants.” All delivered with the same dry wit. The staging is simple, with lighting and sound doing much of the heavy lifting in the performance.
What did work well was how the dream story, which opens the production, is realised at the end. This was a clever way to create a full-circle moment and have the audience question whether the entire performance was somehow a dream, a hypnotic delusion, or a break from reality. As del Amo questions at the beginning of his work – “What is reality?’
Part dance, part theatre, part philosophical discussion, Scary Piece of Work will not be everyone’s cup of tea. In the same way we each respond to fear differently, people’s responses to this work can and will differ greatly. While I can appreciate the motivation behind the work, it is potentially too avant-garde for my taste.
TWO AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Scary Piece of Work will perform at the Sydney Opera House until 13 June 2026.
For more information and to purchase tickets head to the Sydney Opera House website.
Reviewer attended on 11 June 2026.
Photos: Ken Leanfore
