Oyster Boy will most assuredly delight audiences attending the Melbourne Fringe Festival in the coming days.
Created by performer Kyle Walmsley and director Elizabeth Millington, Oyster Boy is a story about an oyster awaiting a monumental event, his shucking. An absurdly dark and hilarious journey awaits viewers at Gasworks Arts Park.
The show has had quite the journey in its own right, originally set to open at the 2020 Melbourne Comedy Festival which unfortunately never opened… cough, cough, COVID! After this false start, Oyster Boy has travelled Darwin, Alice Springs, Bundaberg, Wangaratta and has now returned to Melbourne some four years later.
Walmsley is undoubtedly a comedic mastermind. Melding Australian comedy styles with his own personal twist Walmsley creates something certifiably ocean-fresh. Amongst a cozy set design, he welcomes viewers with a shy charm, building a bubbly yet tense relationship with the audience which causes many to erupt with laughter. Although the play shifts into darker subject matters Walmsley guides his audience with a delightful warmth in his comedy.
Oyster Boy’s structure is filled with tangents and skits, which risks the performance becoming disjointed and losing the audience. However, viewers are with Walmsley and Oyster Boy every step of the way; a testament to the talent of Walmsley and the direction provided by Millington. The audience is kept on their toes, not knowing what to expect next, emitting a spirit that could be an unaired The Mighty Boosh episode.
His wide range of characters showcases his strongest traits as a performer. Dancing between Oyster Boy, a mother, an impatient therapist, an acting teacher, Kyle Walmsley himself and a South African cat that solves crimes. It is a delightful and expectedly touching performance.
The shucking is an ever-present looming threat to Oyster Boy’s status quo. We never really find out exactly what the shucking is meant to represent. Is it a metaphor for transformation, leaving your safe space, coming out, Or simply an oyster getting shucked? Does it really matter in the end?
What is certain is that audience members rooted for the Oyster Boy from the moment he walked out on stage to his inevitable shucking. There is something to enjoy for everyone in Oyster Boy.
The fear of the unknown is a powerfully relatable feeling. Which I suppose is the magic of Oyster Boy, beneath its whacky and off-beat exterior, it taps into themes that are greatly human. We are all scared to open up, even when our shell no longer serves us.
Oyster Boy
Gasworks Arts Park, 21 Graham Street, Albert Park
Performance: Tuesday 15 October 2024
Season continues to 19 October 2024
Bookings: www.melbournefringe.com.au
For more information, visit: www.gasworks.org.au for details.
Image: Kyle Walmsley features in Oyster Boy – photo by D. Preston
Review: Nicholas Carr