What the Hell was that? As my friend and I reeled down the 5 flights of stairs from the Old 505 theatre we just kept repeating, what the hell was that? I loved it but what the Hell was it? It was really really good but what in the name of all the Gods was it? By the time we hit the street we had worked it out. It was brilliant, funny, emotional, experiential physical theatre beyond definition.

In a weird place, deserted and formless we meet a mortal, Pippa, who is seduced into running for the elected position of God in a secluded wasteland city called GODFACE. At first reticent, the deal is sealed when immortality is dangled like dust flutters before her. Her main rival is Swansee, who will erode Pippa’s ideals enough that she will bury her real self. Will the true Pippa survive to rise Godlike from the floor?

Matriark Theatre has created a wonderful experience. Just a stage peopled with half human, half animal creatures. Beasts which resonate those primal fears which surfaced in us all when, instead of playing with our expensive toys, it was the boxes they came in that intrigued us. This is a constructed world of cardboard boxes held together by tape. Everything is a bit sticky, a bit dodgy perhaps even tacky. There is a lot of work goes into creating an ambiance like that. There is visual artistry here realised with a subtle and blended philosophy of creation.

I am going to say this now … but keep reading. There are puppets. But don’t be afraid. They are deceptively detailed and weave into the story seamlessly. Swansee is a swan. Its henchmen are a wolf and a bull. Pippa’s conscience is a sheep. The female puppeteer is breathtakingly good and the cast use the puppetry style where the artist looks at their creation rather than being involved in events. This is a method that allows the audience to accept the creatures as fully fleshed characters. And the wolf mask is a work of art.

It’s a busy show. Complex in its use, not just of the puppets but of the props and in the hiding and discovery and the taking on of characters. GODFACE is terrific ensemble work from Rose Maher, Josh Gardiner, David Molloy, Brett Johnson and Emily McGowan. Considering one of the cast was sick enough for the previous night’s show to be cancelled it was still tight and slick without losing its naivety.

There is great teching and a good audio plot and lighting states from Kathryn Roberts and Terrence Maxwell respectively, good direction from Scott Parker assisted by Murray Lambert and it’s just weird enough to be hilarious without being inaccessible. There are some genuinely sad moments though. The TIME sequence broke my heart.

But all that was not what had us annoying the neighbours as we laughed our way down the stairs. What is it about archetypes and quests that draw responses from so deep within us? At its heart GODFACE is a classic tale, absurdly spun with the “door of delusion” slightly cracked open.

GODFACE is presented as part of Old 505’s Experimental Freshworks Season until June 14th.

For more about Godface, visit http://www.venue505.com/theatre