The Pigeons (KXT on Broadway) ★★½

Written by David Gieselmann. Translated by Maja Zade. The Other Theatre in association with bAKEHOUSE Theatre. KXT on Broadway. 7-21 Dec, 2024.

Two farces, both alike in stupidity, in fair Sydney, where we lay our scene…

Just as the hilarious Hot Tub is heating up Belvoir 25a, the absurd German comedy The Pigeons lands at KXT on Broadway. Like a mash-up of The Office, Succession, and ’Allo, ‘Allo, The Pigeons takes you on a wild ride.

Have you ever wanted to just disappear? Robert Bertrand (Mark Langham) does. He wants to leave his family and the company he owns and just live in peace, but doing so is more complicated than he expected. For starters, his successor at the company, Holger Voss (Andrew Lindqvist), is a nervous wreck thanks to the intra-office psychological warfare of Robert’s son Helmar (Jackson Hurwood) and the tough Heidrun Reichert (Kandice Joy). Plus, the money he’s embezzled from the company has been stolen by a blonde Dane named Silja (Micaela Ellis). Meanwhile, his wife’s psychologist, Dr. Erich Asendorf (Tel Benjamin), is screwing his patients, including Holger’s wife, Natalie (Lib Campbell), and getting them all confused. And exactly how does a pigeon-loving French half-brother factor into the equation?

There’s a lot going on in The Pigeons. This carefully constructed, furiously paced farce has the intensity and fluidity of a manic nightmare. It’s no wonder poor Holger is losing his mind. Less funny “ha-ha” and more funny “what the hell is going on?”, Director Eugene Lynch leans into the abrupt Germanic sharpness of the text for quick scene changes. The large cast is constantly kept on their toes with some tight choreography in the small space of the KXT stage as scenes take place one on top of the other.

The show’s strength lies in its completely committed cast, who believe every outrageous word they utter and play the heightened mania at just the right level. They all seem to be having a great time with the absurdity around them.

Things get more intense as the set starts to physically close in on them (think Star Wars’ iconic trash compactor scene), and some definitely not OH&S-approved prop work had me worried – do NOT stand on a swivel chair in an office, people!

But the non-stop mania starts at full tilt and becomes exhausting as the plot gets harder and harder to follow. Some ill-conceived set movements block the climactic action from a large portion of the audience, robbing the ending of any emotional investment. Like the cumbersome set, there is a weight to the production. You can feel everyone trying their hardest to make it all work but the play never takes flight.

The Pigeons can be discombobulating, but it’s never dull. Charming, but clearly flawed, it’s refreshing to have a play this bold, even if it’s not fully successful. While you’ll definitely laugh out loud, you’ll also be scratching your head on the way home.

P.S. just a reminder that ★★ means “Fine. Flawed and not really recommended, but you may find something to appreciate in it.”