Going Out West - Just the Tonic

By E.L. Hardy

Going Out West explores and exposes the misrepresentation of masculinity within society - what it means to 'be a man.' This theatricalised dissection of 'lad' culture lands with great pertinence at this year's festival, lording reams of brilliant feminist theatre; these four (feminist) males offer a different, and frequently over-looked, perspective. Is a man a disappointment if he experiences fear, falls in love or feels vulnerable? Is a man written off as a scumbag if he fails to be infallible in his handling of a women? Is that all there is - scumbags or disappointments?

The play is billed as dystopian, but has such contemporary prevalence that the landscape of the leaf-scattered stage in traverse reads as the familiar gardens and woods of childhood. The boys have a palette, a tent, a cuddly duck, a bucket and a top hat - everything required to create a super cool ninja, dragon, adventure game. They play. Harmless shooting and dying, fighting and firing. Well, boys will be boys!

They ask, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and respond falteringly:

"A really good dad to my kids... AND an astronaut!" - anxious to suppress and deflect any sensitivity, even from childhood.

Going full circle, the four friends find themselves in just the same spot years later. As they age, they become increasingly tortured by the roles and responsibilities society, culture and history bury them in, and the inevitability that they'll end up a disappointment in someone's eyes however they behave.

But Going Out West is not nearly as bleak or as serious as I'm making it sound. It's the funniest play I've seen at the fringe to date and is admirably devised, in its entirety, by its imaginative and adept cast. Through a series of hilarious vignettes, drawing upon popular culture, Greek mythology and history (including an unforgettable recreation of The Lion King), the messages and themes tumble towards a moving crescendo, which asks a hundred more questions than it answers. This intelligent layered writing, delivered with both naturalism and fun, bemuses its audience into consistent laughter, the occasional tear and deep contemplation. As a woman, I was personally fascinated to glance into the male psyche, and men will find, not just familiarity, but relief in the messages these four remarkable actors have to offer.

PS in short: This rugged examination of masculinity is not just important, but unmissable. I challenge you not to fall head-over-heels for this unique, scraggy and bloody genial piece of theatre.

★★★★★

Asanisimasa presents Going Out West

Just the Tonic @ The Mash House

31st July - 24th August (not 12th) 12.30

#reviews