Powerful, strange tale rich with ideas and depth

Another Mammal, By Jo Randerson. Directed by Jane Yonge, Circa Theatre, until May 29.

Jo Randerson (recent Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the performing arts) has written an abstract, familiar yet mythical piece, grounded in the characters of Y (Anya Tate-Manning) and Z (Natano Keni).

A gun is the focal point, bringing each scene to a close as the ultimate end of discussion. As Y points out, she’s been shot 11 times, Z only 2. And have they progressed? Not really, the beginning is changing, the themes and points have changed, but the result is always the same.

Interspersed with well-known New Zealand songs (Darcy Clay’s amazing Jesus I Was Evil was a great start), Z and Y are playing the same scenario over and over again, trying to prevent the violence of being shot. In full view ‘‘offstage’’ the stage manager (Erina Daniels) is at the ready.

The dialogue is rich with ideas and depth, grounded in human interactions but placed in a surreal scenario made stranger by observant, unseen and alien wolfapes (Peter Burman, Sean Millward, Waitahi Aniwaniwa). One time the gun is a banana, another a rather flaccid lump of dough. And still they carry on.

As Shakespeare said, ‘‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.’’ Z’s comment that the gun feels like a ‘‘frozen eel in glad wrap’’ before shooting Y is followed by the Mutton Birds’ Nature, and the next scene contains quotes from Braveheart and Robert Frost.

From making gunshot noises with clappers, to negotiating with Z to get back up and carry on the stage manager begins to join them onstage. The strange, blonde and hirsute wolf-apes also creep more into the scenes. Questions are asked, points about wombats and Anzac Day raised and declarations made.

It is when the stage manager puts the gun in a box, to hover over their heads that the pattern is broken. But it still holds power as a symbol for the now three occupants of the space, grouped together as an ‘‘us’’ against the ‘‘them’’ outside.

Tate-Manning is brilliant. Her physicality and approachable performance as well as comedic timing make her a standout. Keni is more understated and wry, but excellent, with their interplay bringing a very strong foundation to this parable.

To quote the play itself, ‘‘beautiful things happen in unknown spaces’’, and that holds true for this powerful and strange tale.