The famous Spanish playwright Frederico Garcia Lorca is quoted as saying, ‘A play is a poem standing up’.

Accomplished writer and performer Helen O’Leary’s new one woman play LAST is an extended, free association poem/rap/open and free discourse with the audience about life, death, the universe….She is such a warm, affable, self effacing presence, that the audience on opening night just lapped it up.

There are many shifts in gear… We see her jogging, determined to keep her fitness and her figure..then we see her mourning the loss of a close friend who has committed suicide- going through the mental processes…why didn’t her friend tell her that she was so desperate….we see her talking about her coping strategies…how it’s all one step at a time, moving forward, one step at a time….

The props are minimal. They include… A chair…a bell…candle…a piece of clothing…shoes…whatever she can run with…Also adding atmosphere is a backdrop of a series of Buck Buckingham’s photographs projected against the back wall..including a stunning forest shot with perfect light.

My highlight….when from the ceiling a swing, of all things, drops down, Helen jumps on it, and starts swinging, sharing with the audience her list of the things that give her joy…make her happy…renew her love of life…A damn fine list it is too!

Recommended, Helen O’Leary’s LAST opened at the Old 505 Theatre, Level 5, 342 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, on Wednesday 26th September and plays until Sunday 30th September, 2012.

Tags: Sydney Theatre Reviews- LAST, Helen O’Leary, Old 505 Theatre, Surry Hills, Sydney Fringe Festival, Sydney Arts Guide.