SIEZE THE SPRAY: The Wetness is an instant cult classic.
Rose Kingdom-Barron has a long history with The Blue Room Theatre and the Boorloo/Perth contemporary arts scene. She’s known for her work as a leading producer of independent programs and often eccentric, chaotic, experimental performance work. In The Wetness she invites audiences to an ‘entry level’ workshop at ‘The Wetness Centre’. What at first appears to be a haphazard day spa soon reveals itself as something with ‘fathoms’ of depth.
You have signed up to a cult. A cult that believes human life began in the wetness of the primordial soup. From fish we come, as fish we return. Further, that wetness that we emerged from all those years ago is what sustains us today. It is the same wet that we drink from the tap or appears on our windshield in the morning. Essentially, the water cycle and the circle of life are the same thing.
What is remarkable about this work is Rose’s ability to gently guide and encourage you to participate in increasingly silly things. There is never an expectation for you to join in beyond what is comfortable, but I found myself not only willing, but eager to indoctrinate myself in the wetness centre. Participation is low stakes and low energy, which, under the direction of your captivating new leader ‘The Wet One’, leads the intimate audience to gleefully dive into rituals such as energy baths, wetness charging, and collective gargling.
Mish Endersbee’s direction provides a clear structure that grounds the work and validates the core cultish belief system being subscribed to. Given Perth’s water shortage and the ever-present climate disaster we face, this lighthearted piece of ritual theatre packs a political punch. That is to say: the work feels soaked in current events. Endersbee’s touch is firm, sophisticated, and allows KB’s unpredictable playfulness to shine. This is a collaboration that will have you applaud an overhead mister in earnest.
MITCH WHELAN
The Wetness plays at 50 Pier Street as part of The Blue Room Theatre’s Summer Nights program 3 – 14 February, 2025. For tickets and more information, click here.
