Yasmin is ‘supposed to be the bright one’ so the moment she realises she’s pregnant is the beginning of a life that is even harder than she could have imagined with her alcoholic mother.
We’re in Scarborough, in the postcode poverty side of town, and Yasmin has hooked up with Danny the DJ from the posh suburbs in the final weeks in her last year of school. When her education ends poorly after the inevitable distraction of boy vs exams, Yasmin is left with very little. Her mother has abandoned her to live with a new man, and she has an early pregnancy, no job, and an increasingly distant Danny.
What Jasmin has got is tenacity in spades, buckets of energy and a mountain of attitude, and it’s these attributes that motivate her to try to improve her life for her small family.
Sarena Manteghi is captivating as Yasmin in this one person play, and it’s evident that ‘Build a Rocket’ has been refined for a few years as the script is tight and fast-paced and leaves no excesses in its wake.
Serena uses the humour and poetry expressively, and channels the other characters effortlessly so we’re in no doubt of the language and physical attributes of girlfriends, boyfriend, mother and child.
In a simple but effective set, Serena fills the sparse space with her ability, and her acting, including her physicality on stage, is memorising.
Holden Street Theatres has once again brought an outstanding UK production to the Fringe, and with its pop up food trucks, well-stocked bar and quirky theatres it provides a great venue.
Build a Rocket is on at Holden Street Theatres until March 17, 2019.
Purchase tickets here:
https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/build-a-rocket-af2019
To learn more about Holden Street Theatres, visit their website here:
http://www.holdenstreettheatres.com/
