‘Super awesome groovy cool’; this cheesy line, which was regurgitated woefully and far too often, does and does not reflect the quality of writing in this show. The comedy play follows a woman whose childishness and alcoholism is looked down on by her tiresomely drab boyfriend. Her favourite childhood toy – a cuddly panda bear (Panga) – comes to life, but his unscrupulous desire to get hammered and play games pulls her further into the alcoholic abyss. The plot had potential and at times jokes were pulled off to the point of generating of a few laughs, but actors were clumsy (bumping into chairs) and characterisation was poor. An emotional moment towards the end raised the bar slightly, but the money for admission to this would be better spent elsewhere.

Hill Street Theatre, 5-26 August, 8.30 pm.
tw rating 2/5 | [Joe Mountford-Smith]