It seems as though Guy Masterson can do no wrong this year and Blowing It is no exception. While this could be down to Masterson’s producing skill, a lot has to be said for Stephen Papps’ performance in this witty and well paced piece of theatre.
Set in the seedy underbelly of New Zealand’s crime world, Blowing It follows the downward spiral of an undercover cop planted to bust a drugs ring, as he falls from respected law enforcer to paranoid dope pusher. From his initial validation in a seedy downtown bar to the final bust, we travel with Mickey through a colourful world of smalltime pushers, losers and lowlifes to the inevitable conclusion – does he live his new life or bust a mate to save his career?
Besides a razor sharp script, what really makes Blowing It so enjoyable is Papps’ vibrant and energetic performance. Relying on nothing else but his raw talent, Papps breaths life into the bedraggled town that Mickey has been posted to. From the sleazy, but unfortunate, Titch to the demented Rottwieler Satan Papps slips effortlessly between characters and creates a real community that buzzes with jealousy, villainy and intrigue.
If anything, Papps is too energetic, as some of his mimes are a little sloppy, but this can be forgiven as his vim and vigour gives weight to Mickey’s growing mania and paranoia.
Blowing It is so close to being truly masterful, but it falls slightly short. Trim off the unnecessary final scene and ask Papps to control his excitement for the first ten minutes and this would be worthy of five stars, but at the moment it gets a solid four.
4/5
Richard Biggs
