Melbourne Fringe: People Piss In Here

The subject of mental illness is tackled head on in the ladies bathroom in this funny two-hander downstairs at the Butterfly Club.

Jo and Sam have issues and they are going through their routine of helping each other out, while sitting in adjoining cubicals at their office. People Piss in Here confronts a serious subject with irreverance and pop culture references and the visit of a seventh century saint, who is heralding the end of the world.

Jessica McKerlie and Petra Elliott handle the text with ease; there are moments where we feel as trapped as these two characters but we laugh along with them, too. There is some smart writing in there, along with a fun use of audience participation as the end of the world draws near.

The biggest drawback is the venue. Downstairs at the Butterfly Club is assaulted by the noise from the club’s own bar, as well as the milling crowd waiting to get into the upstairs venue. This was very distracting, often muffling the dialogue and distracting from the show.