Review – Decadence
A man spends time with his mistress, as his wife bangs the private investigator she had hired to follow him and plots her husband’s murder. This sparse plot provides the framework from which the characters tell each other, and the audience, stories on such diverse topics as clothing, food, murder, hunting, sexual escapades, women, race, and the sexual abuse of children, and performed entirely in rhyme!
There is really very little plot to speak of in this play, but that doesn’t mean that it is not worth seeing – quite the opposite in fact. The language is clever and delivered at such a fast pace by the two actors that it is a joy to watch. There is a flow and rhythm to the speech, and the various ways that they play with words is delightful. It barely even matters what the play is about exactly. The set is simple, just a couch and a rug, and the actors mime any of the objects that they use. These simple mechanics allow the story itself be the focal point of the production. But what really makes it interesting is that it also has a knot of social commentary at its core; classism, racism and the treatment of women are all briefly explored. And it’s just a bit outrageous, with most of the comedy being of the raunchy variety, making this a production not for those that are easily offended.
Decadence is be an excellent play for anyone that likes clever theatre with some wickedness thrown in. Definitely recommended.
