The Limitless Mind of Melanie Lemon is an absolute hoot and was the perfect antidote for a ‘school night’ out.
Melanie Lemon (Elise Wilson) is a risk-averse young woman with an overactive imagination. She invites us to experience her wild fantasies or worst-case scenarios. It’s a fast-paced, slapstick ride embracing everything from a slow motion kung fu fight, a wickedly funny nod to Mission: Impossible, and the funniest cowperson horse chase I have ever seen.
I laughed from the moment Melanie’s head appeared through the black curtain with her paper cutout dreams until the final scene, when the cast exited the stage with a synchronised jump and a call to join them in the bar.
The cast of this rambunctious production is expertly led by Elise Wilson as Melanie Lemon. A student of clowning at École Philippe Gaulier in France, Wilson is a prolific actor who improvises regularly with the Big HOO HAA!. Wilson also devised and directed the play with Arielle Gray. Gray has achieved international success as an award winning director and is the founding artist of The Last Great Hunt.
The production also stars the talented Tamara Creasey, Courtney Henri, and Duncan Young. Together with sharp sound effects created by Sound Designer and Composer David Stewart and delivered expertly by Stage Manager Alli Mack, the team makes good on a wild content warning that made me wonder just what I was letting myself in for. Themes of death, smoke, flashing lights, balloon animals, fake guns, and stylised violence… it had all that and more.
The four actors had their slapstick routine down pat, from their insanely expressive facial expressions, and cheeky audience asides to the perfectly timed sound effects and slick prop handoffs from behind the curtain. Dialogue was limited to short interactions between two actors at a time keeping the pace quick, witty, and playfully balanced with brief moments of despair. It was clowning and mime at its finest. I loved it, the audience loved it and it is absolutely worth seeing.
The Limitless Mind of Melanie Lemon is showing at The Blue Room Theatre until 7th November.