I have dabbled in theatre -acting in the Romeo and Juliet Sixth Form play- I was thrilled to sublimate my enjoyment of wacky theatre again with a ticket to ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ at the Annex Theatre in Southampton.

The play follows the title character (Alex Hewitt), a detective who believes in the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. This charismatic fellow finds himself caught up in a gruesome murder. But with the company of Cambridge Professor of Chronology, Reg (Morgan Allen), and Richard Macduff (Joseph Rix), he embarks on a journey to save humanity, with larger stakes that stretch across time and space.

Photo Credit: Theatre Group/Southampton University Student Union (SUSU)

Pietro Andreotti, Katy Halliwell, and Ben Mansell have effectively adapted Douglas Adams’ 1987 novel into a psychedelically colourful play. The entire technical team also deserve my congratulations for working together to create something fun and visually beautiful.

The colourful set and creative lighting conveyed to me a mix of Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune, and the Daniels’ Everything, Everywhere, All at Once'.’ I enjoyed the smoothness of each fourth wall break because when Dirk monologued, each character froze to focalise him. I also chuckled at the Swan Lake dance sequence, which is a valid coping mechanism for Richard’s anxieties. He manages to channel his dread at having to save the universe and find his meaning within it, all by having a bit of fun.

I loved the exaggerated, campy facial expressions in each bombshell dun-dun-dunnnn moment before a blackout. Alex’s witty tone and mannerisms also stood out- this was excellent casting for an eccentric, fun and wacky man. I also enjoyed Reg’s character, or David Attenborough on pre-workout. Morgan Allen truly melted into this role, to the point where I felt like I was laughing at a fully grown senior in the twilight of his life. I must also praise Joseph Rix, the graceful face of the Swan Lake dance, for their wonderful and intense slapstick comedy (I truly hope they recover soon) with Morgan. Their collaboration with Alex reinforced the sweet Detective/Geek dynamic.

Photo Credit: Screenshot from SUSU Theatre Group’s Youtube Trailer

However, I found that I couldn’t sublimate my love for comedic acting the entire time, because things got real. One scene explored grief and disconnection between siblings Gordon (Charlotte Pearce) and Susan Way (Melis Ensert). This stood out to me the most. Gordon, a rich businessman, is the victim of the play’s first bloody murder. Susan spends much of the play swallowed up in the numbness of grief. Gordon attempts to communicate with her beyond the afterlife. His final attempt is extremely touching. There is a dramatic irony in Susan’s total obliviousness to Gordon being in the room with her. I also surprisingly loved the chemistry between them, even though they didn’t have much dialogue with each other at all. In fact, it’s likely the lack of dialogue that created the chemistry. The irony of a shared space without any shared dialogue created a sense of the siblings’ transcendent longing for each other. There was no escape here for the audience, so they were dead silent. An air of sonder floated around the theatre. It is unfortunate that their runtime was so short, because I was getting used to some realness!

Nevertheless, the SUSU Theatre Society has succeeded in their genre-bending. They manage to use absurdity to channel existential dread, but they can also pull the rug and force us to confront the harsh realities of life.