The set is bare but for a monolithic rock standing upstage. Above it is a suspended paper lantern. On the forestage, the ground is painted with a symbol—a hot desert sun. Music conjures images of heat haze and desolation—I’m starting to sweat.

Sweat is the second instalment in the Blood, Sweat and Tears trilogy of original, stand-alone work created by the members of the Western Australian Youth Theatre Company. The titles are springboards to let imagination run wild and I was interested to see what sort of play the word ‘sweat’ inspired. I caught the production on preview night—I think preview often offers a more energised show than opening night as the cast is keyed up for their first audience. From experience, opening night often feels flat even though it may be a technically good performance. However, there is always the risk of something going wrong—this time it was the air conditioning! What better way to get in the mood for a show called Sweat?

Sweat is the story of two beings lost in the wilderness, both on a quest for redemption: Alice (Sharn Peskett), a lost young woman who has died and Seth (Iskander Sharazuddin), a fallen god. It is a play that explores both the mythological and the mundane and has some fun with them.

We are introduced to a group of gods, Eve (Donelle Gardiner) the head bureaucrat of the gods, Azza (Hannah Rice), the god of lusty times, Darryl (Matt Mitchell), a dissolute god and Hermes (Nelson Mondane), a god of work experience. They are meeting to discuss the fate of the latest human lost in the desert, Alice. Three options are open: send her Onwards, Outwards or to Seth. Onwards is in crude terms ‘heaven’—but if Alice’s soul doesn’t meet the requirements it will be sent back. Outwards is the equivalent of ‘hell’ and she isn’t bad enough for that. They could send Alice to Seth—read: purgatory. Intriguingly, we’re told, “She will be his final job.” So, after some argument, and Hermes being sent on a drinks run, the executive decision is option three, send her to Seth. Enter Isobel (Kaila Ferrelli), the Queen of the gods. She has a bee in her bonnet about Seth and wants Alice to be sent Outwards. So the story begins, quests, vendettas, lust, sacrifice, facing life’s demons and a dollop of silliness all out in the sweaty desert.

Peskett and Sharazuddin give strong performances in the roles of Alice and Seth, making some interesting choices particularly in the early parts of the play. Peskett’s reaction when told that Alice is dead is well-executed—excuse the pun. Gardiner as the officious Eve gives some well timed comic relief along with her god cronies Rice, Mitchell and Mondane. Michael is charming in the role of Styx the gatekeeper of the Outlands and Hollier does well as the Shapeshifter.

The play is uniformly well performed which is a credit to the directorial debut of senior WAYTCo member Patrick Downes. There is a good balance between dialogue and action, although some of the group movement sequences may have benefited from the intervention of a choreographer. I was, however, generally impressed with the fight scenes.

The stand out element in Sweat was the music and soundscapes by Jaymes Brown. The aural atmosphere was crucial in giving the play an edge and supporting the other-wordliness so necessary on a simple set. Aaron Stirk’s lighting design was suitably hot and oppressive, even without the aid of the failed air-conditioning system. The costuming by Katja Vella was functional, but also managed to merge the supernatural and the environmental with minimalist elegance.

The writing for Sweat shows a lot more clarity than last year’s Blood. The characters have more definition and the comic moments are much more realised. There were some lovely choices in the script—I particularly liked those for Nathaniel, king of the Outlands, whose face changes for each generation. He holds a mirror to obscure his face, only revealing it to a horrified Alice. There were times where the word ‘sweat’ was a overused in what felt like a justification of the title and some of the expletives seemed a little forced. Towards the end of the play, things begin to unravel a little, perhaps in a push to seek a conclusion. The end came too suddenly and it wasn’t a case of leaving the audience wanting more. Apart from this, Sweat was a solid evening’s entertainment.

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