‘In wine there is truth and laughter’. So goes the promo line for local playwright Paul Gilchrist’s new play. One can also add now, – out of wine one can also make a very appealing work of contemporary theatre. BLIND TASTING works well with its combination of lyrical writing by Gilchrist, and a lovely, well measured, and warm performance by Sylvia Keays as the intrepid Sophie.
BLIND TASTING starts in a bright, winning way. Sophie walks out onto the stage blindfolded, a bright red mask covering her eyes, fumbling her way till she makes it to the centre of the stage, next to a wine barrel on top of which sit a couple of bottles of wine. She calls out for someone in the audience to lend her a hand and join her.
A willing volunteer raced on to the stage and starts things off by cracking open the first bottle of wine. Sophie begins her blind tasting, swigging the wine very enthusiastically, mouthing appropriate wine lingo, and then requesting refills. Clearly, this lady loves to drink.
When the volunteer summons up her courage and asks for a drop herself, Sophie quickly asks her to take her leave. She has no intention of sharing the good drop!
For the next hour Sophie entertains the audience with stories from her life. Wine tasting is one thing, but she talks about some of her experiences working as a telemarketer, of-course, for a wine company. Telemarketing is a hard call, and that’s exactly how Sophie tells it.
On a positive note though, the job gave her the bucks to go on a cruise that she goes on with her work colleague, Kirstie. For Sophie the highlight is a romance that ensues with the svelte smooth and super- organised Peter, which she tells us in vivid detail.
As well as being an avid wine drinker and raconteur, Sophie fancies herself as something of a philosopher. As her night of sharing comes to an end, she tells us that, in her life now, she is endeavouring to look beyond the labels on bottles of wine as well those labels that some may put on the people in her life.
A Subtlenuance Theatre Company production, BLIND TASTING has completed its season at the Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli, having played there for two nights only, on June 25 and July 30. BLIND TASTING has previously had runs in Adelaide, Melbourne and Los Angeles.