Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (reviewed Saturday 5 April 2025).
The Lotto Line from Australian playwright John Tsakiris and presented by Studio 5 Productions is a wonderful experimental experience that falls under the umbrella of expressionism / German expressionism. Touted as an absurdist comedy, it certainly tickles the funny bone in the most random of places, which is perfect if you like to laugh out loud during theatre performances (we certainly do!)
Jess Spies is The Lotto Master, an avant-garde mash between David Bowie and Willy Wonka, selling lottery tickets with totalitarian, regimented zeal. Cowering customers come to The Lotto Master with all kinds of neurosis, including Ms Atkins (Megan Heferen), Mrs Cotter (Holly Mazzola), Miss Dabbs (Larissa Turton), Mr Horner (James Thomasson) and Mr Borvin (Jonathon Nicola).
Once The Lotto Master has exited the scene, the characters lapse into an existential crisis on the assumption that time has stopped dead.
The performances – stylised and surreal – haunts us with the impending dystopia of the spiralling cost of living; the unanimous flinch that the cost of a lottery ticket has gone up by a whole dollar is on point. The direction in movement, delivery and facial subtitles takes risks that are intentional rather than indulgent. There is lots of shouting and screaming to exaggerate and hyperbolise the impending doom of collective naivety that we should just ‘trust in our leaders’ whilst holding primitive beliefs about the sun.
At 90 minutes with no interval, there is potential at the three quarter mark to edit and pivot the script; the reintroduction of The Lotto Master is a much welcome dynamic that provides exciting tension whilst leaving the play on a Sisyphean cliffhanger.
The audience enjoyed this one a lot; standout favourites are Mr Horner’s profound mumbling after having his words ‘arrested’, and shabbily-dressed Miss Dabbs on crutches wheezing insults and threats about kicking The Lotto Master in the shins.
The Lotto Line is playing until 12 April at Flow Studios, Camperdown. For tickets and showtimes go to https://events.humanitix.com/the-lotto-line
CREDITS:
CAST
Megan Heferen as Ms Atkins
Holly Mazzola as Mrs Cotter
Larissa Turton as Miss Dabbs
James Thomasson as Mr Horner
Jonathon Nicola as Mr Borvin
Jess Spies as The Lotto Master
CREW
John Tsakiris as Writer, Co-Director, Co-Producer, Sound Designer
Megan Heferen as Co-Director, Co-Producer, Lighting Designer
Ella Howe as Stage Manager, Assistant Producer, Tech Operator
Patrick Phillips as Assistant Producer, Photographer
Claudia Elbourne as Graphic Designer