Fringe World Perth: The Pigeons

This was an hour of fast paced entertainment firmly in the absurdist manner.

We meet three smartly turned out professional secret keepers, standing by their telephones at the ready to unburden the guilty of their secrets. Once heard they are filed away forever. The clients are relieved of their angst; “It is a charitable organisation after all!”

The dialogue was snappy and the actors revelled in their characterisations. Mary, Margery and Mildred are rather naughty girls who seem to bounce off each other, all vying to prise secrets from, and about, each other.

The secret they finally uncover is M’s romantic liaison with Gregory, an active volcano. He is represented by a papier-mâché volcano secreted in a filing cabinet; a metaphor for explosive escaping, secrets perhaps?

This revelation leads to a clever, surreal slow motion dance finale involving twirling ribbons, sparklers and showering paper pompoms.

The witty dialogue and the crisp high-speed delivery held the audience in thrall.