I don’t know about you but the prospect of sitting around in the waiting room of the GP is mind-numbing. While I am old enough to remember a time without the built in entertainment of mobile phones, I can’t remember how we survived on the dog-eared, outdated celebrity magazines and (if you were lucky) the barely audible television screens.
Born in a Taxi’s The Waiting Room however, is anything but dreary.
We started off by breaking off into different facilitator-led groups. So while you might have arrived with a companion, don’t expect to go on the same adventure as them.
And I do mean adventure.
As we weaved our way through Joondalup Library, it felt illicitly exciting, stealing into the night and exploring the guts of the building. My group found ourselves in a service carpark and in and out of random elevators. My husband stayed in the library, going into conference rooms and roaming the shelves. Social norms had us obediently and silently follow our leaders but the playful direction of our leaders encouraged moments of random silliness. It seemed like nothing and no one was safe from curious exploration.
We were all reunited at the end for the grand finale. I initially thought that this was the real waiting room portion of the performance but I was wrong. It was merely the meeting spot for chaos to reign supreme. There was seat-stealing, there was negotiating, there was dancing. We all left, feeling a little lighter, brightened by a truly inimitable night out.
The Waiting Room’s success each night is influenced (but not heavily dependent) on the audience. Playful audiences who are willing to suspend adult responsibilities and hang ups help make the night a truly liberating play session. The audience on my night was playful. A few members truly got into the spirit of things and even cheekily trolled the cast members by stealing their props. This then coaxed the shyer members to dip their toes into the fun.
As an introvert, you might baulk at having to participate in the tomfoolery. Let me assure you that interactions are NOT forced. The seasoned cast members are masters of improvisation. They have a keen awareness of each audience member and merely offer suggestions. There is no coercion, only pivots if you decline. Kudos to the team, for this refreshingly gentle approach to improv.
The Waiting Room is your chance to immerse yourself in an hour of unplanned yet purposeful play in the unlikeliest of settings. However, like most things in life, you only get what you give. While it is absolutely fine to predominantly observe, the most fun is had when you revel in every opportunity presented to you.
The Waiting Room’s final performance is on tonight at Joondalup Festival. Follow Born in a Taxi’s socials to keep posted on when they’ll be back in Perth!