Sorry mum, I’m joining a cult. More specifically, I have seen the light that is ‘The Practice‘ and my new life has now begun, free of all my past wrongdoings – I even have a shiny rock to prove it.
‘The Practice’ is kind of like Fight Club… in that I can’t tell you that much about it without spoiling it for you.
I was meant to be taking a plus one to the show, who stood me up (your loss, jerk). So I went alone and chatted away to the other people in the lobby as we waited for two latecomers before the show could begin. We were each allocated a number and quickly bonded as we whinged about the cold Melbourne weather and speculated what was actually going to happen in the show. A woman in a shocking magenta blouse with a ‘P’ printed on the lapel came out and ushered us into another room for ‘processing’.
Everything after this is a spoiler. This isn’t an ordinary show, and if you go in expecting to be an ‘audience member’ you’re in for a hell of a shock. You are in ‘The Practice’ now, and there’s no just sitting back. This show is interactive to the nth degree, super unnerving at times, deep, meaningful, and also comedy gold, sometimes as much from the audience as the velvet-voiced cast. There’s not a lot of shows where I’ve ended up coughing intensely into a small stuffed bear while having Red Hot Chili Pepper’s lyrics quoted at me spiritually.
During one of the most silent, intense moments, one of my fellow initiates leaned over and whispered ‘this would’ve been one hell of a first date’. And it bloody well would have.
Join ‘The Practice’. Take an awkward date or a friend or just go on your own and find a new better family, although the run is almost sold out so you better hop to it.
-Jasmin
‘The Practice‘ runs 23 September until 3 October.
Note: This show is very very not epilepsy friendly. There are a lot of prolonged flashing lights, so any photosensitive people aren’t likely to have much fun. Or you can do what I did and blindfold yourself with a giant scarf before being sick in the toilet. Same for anyone who is overly claustrophobic… although the blindfold might not help.
