‘Variations or Exit Music’: Taking the act of love and longing onto a universal scale
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21.09.2022

‘Variations or Exit Music’: Taking the act of love and longing onto a universal scale

Taking the act of love and longing into a universal scale, 'Variations or Exit Music' at the La Mama Courthouse Theatre remixes the euphony of one man’s queer relationships over time to create a melodic theatrical experience.

Written and directed by Justin Nott, the piece takes many cues from his own life, taking on an autobiographical lens that leads the audience inside the mind of the artist in turmoil.

Featuring Matthew Connell as the similarly named Justin, the play is led by an ensemble group of fabulous actors, with Lachlan Martin, Joss McClelland and Yuchen Wang bringing tightness to the dialogue and empathy to their delivery. All onstage from the very beginning, the audience is greeted by a live stage upon entry, already submerging them into the world of Variations or Exit Music.

Check out Melbourne’s latest stage shows and theatrical events here.

The set, wonderfully designed by Eloise Kent, dominates the La Mama Courthouse. A massive white shoebox, seemingly floating off in space surrounded by blackness, gives off the impression of drifting through space: a notion that delivers a grand surprise later on.

Through pastel contours the play weaves through Justin Nott’s real life, chronicling past relationships, including the longest he’s ever had, one which stretched across the world to London. Desire and the questioning thereof are painted in vivid colours, matched only by the vibrancy of the lighting itself. Evocative and bare soundscapes shift the audience through time and space, melding the disparate scenes together beautifully.

Nott raises many interesting questions for the audience to ponder. How can you cope when your love – your life – ends? Can you find hope in the darkness that feels like suffocating you? Nott should be praised for baring his revelations to these questions in a dynamic and thought-provoking play that will stagger audiences.

Variations or Exit Music runs until September 25 at the La Mama Courthouse Theatre.