At a pet cemetery two people meet: Bernadette (Jocelyn Christian), a family lawyer with a working class background; and Oliver (Matthew Diesch) a musician from a privileged upbringing. They are attracted to one another and start to date.
But this is no ordinary world they inhabit. It is a dystopian future where the government is trying to pass a law limiting spoken or written communication to only 140 words per person per day. He is opposed, she doesn’t think it will happen and isn’t worried.
The story is told mostly in quick scenes that jump backwards and forwards in time giving a disjoined view of their relationship to one another. Eventually when the law is passed we see the disturbing effects it has on them and how they try and find ways of circumventing the regulations.
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Putting aside the seemingly absurdist idea of limiting speech and how unenforceable it would be in the real world, it is none the less an intriguing and engaging play that explores political ideas such as free speech and the impact of social media in our lives. Whether intentional or not, the script also shows us the incredible versatility and complexity of language and how limiting a life without expression could be.
It also serves as a warning about the negative use of technology and the impact it can have on our freedoms.
The script has some very dense dialogue and that non-linear story telling can be slightly confusing, but as it progresses things do become clearer. I praise Christian and Diesch for their ability to cope very well with the elaborate nature of the piece. Both of them have a very strong chemistry and are quite believable as a couple who manage to retain their humanity and find ingenious ways of navigating around the tightly restricted world they inhabit. This is an interesting play to watch and it will lead to interesting discussions I am sure.
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Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons
3-12 October 2024
The Pumphouse Theatre – Auckland
