Review by Eleanor Surtees of Almost, Maine presented by Company ‘22 QCGU and Anywhere Festival

Almost, Maine is unlike anything I’ve watched before.

The play focuses on the short stories of nine loosely connected couples in the fictional, almost-town of Almost. The awkwardness, hilarity, hope, and heartbreak of relationships is presented in an emotional rollercoaster of scenes that reflects real-life back in a surreal yet familiar way. This play’s clever metaphors and fantastical world-building carries complex emotional themes and distinguishes itself from classic Hollywood rom-com tropes.

Brisbane’s Planetarium provides an amazingly unique stage and uses technology, lighting, and atmospherics to bring this play to life, resulting in a beautifully intimate experience. Ooh’s and ahh’s could be heard from the audience as the ceiling transformed into the starry night sky of Maine. This technology is not without its faults however, and only minutes into the presentation, technological malfunctions forced a brief intermission. The cast and crew handled this humorously and professionally, and the show commenced without another hitch. I would recommend arriving slightly early, as the front-row became part of the show and the limited seating capacity filled quickly.   

This character-driven play utilises minimal props and relies on the plain-spoken, sometimes awkward, and clumsy script resulting in a sincere display of emotional connection. The cast borders the line of cheesy comedy and serious themes excellently. Each duo’s chemistry sucks you in and has you rooting for each relationship, however, the show does a great job at showing that sometimes, it is just not meant to be. I did find that some of the imagery and symbolism went over my head, however, this play avoids being overly pretentious through its sincerity and candour.

I couldn’t recommend Almost, Maine more. The Brisbane Planetarium is a beautiful backdrop for this unassumingly meaningful reflection of life’s emotional fluidity.