Everyman Theatre | Review by Freya Rowell
Outrageous Title, Delightfully Sincere
Seeing a play named If We Got Some More Cocaine I Could Show You How I Love You, I was unsure what to expect when I arrived at Kingston’s ACT Hub on Thursday night. The poster of two curly-haired young men staring wistfully into the camera, the neon lights of the repurposed venue and the craft beers on offer, combined with the work’s sensationalist title gave me some pause, worried that the experience could be somewhat pretentious or excessively provocative. I’m glad to say my hesitations were unfounded, as Everyman Theatre delivered a show that was funny, reflective and, despite some tough themes and crass moments, genuinely sweet.
A two-hander is already a challenge for any actor, leaving nowhere to hide. If We Got Some More Cocaine… takes this a step further with its confined setting. Our two protagonists enter by scrambling up onto a rooftop, masked and out of breath after an ill-conceived petrol station robbery, and due to the police on one side and disagreeable neighbors on the other, this is where the two will remain for the duration of the play. The set, designed by Isaac Reilly, consists only of the top portion of a house, with a rooftop platform and windows cut off halfway as if the house is sunk into the floor. This detail creates a believable sense of the height and isolation which the characters experience. The lighting and sound design, by Lachlan Houen and Neville Pye respectively, work together to subtly sustain the ever-present threat of being caught with the occasional flash of red and blue or a distant siren.
In this limited setting with simple effects, the play relies heavily on the actors and writing. Robert Kjellgren is charming as Mikey, a local of the small Irish town in which the play is set, who is affectionate and funny, but has a temper that has gotten him in trouble with the Gardai more than once. In his Nike trainers and Puma trackies, he embodies the stereotypical Irish lad who would much rather be out for a night of craic than stuck on a roof. He is contrasted by the younger Casey (Joshua James). Casey’s trackies have peeling logos and his unbranded shoes are worn with slight holes, small details from costume designer Winsome Ogilvie that, paired with a black eye, imply a harsher reality at home which manifests in the more subdued, scared character. Being English in an Irish town of 10,000 people, Casey already feels like an outsider, and feels unable to risk alienating himself further by coming out as gay. This is a point of conflict between the pair, which is an appropriate theme to explore when the danger of coming out is a reality for people around the world, but also, refreshingly, is not the only challenge these queer characters face.
The two actors have worked together previously, both appearing in Canberra REP’s Lord of The Flies last year, and it shows, as they bounce off each other in a natural flow through moments of humour, tension, anger and closeness. Kjellgren’s conversational patter drives the play, and while snorting lines and making lewd remarks, he manages to show an endearing level of care for Casey. James has some challenging speeches in the play which he delivers with a desperate conviction that evokes real sympathy and fear for him. A highlight of Joel Horwood’s direction is the moments of non-sexual physical intimacy shared by the boys; their embraces demonstrate the emotional connection between them when much of their closeness goes unsaid.
Overall, the play belies its outrageous title, and is executed with a subtlety and simplicity that manages to turn criminal activity and drug use into a tender romantic drama that is well worth watching.
If We Got Some More Cocaine I Could Show You How I Love You runs 14–24 May 2025 at Act HUB. For booking, see acthub.com.au.
Freya Rowell is a Canberra local who is enjoying re-immersing herself in the city’s theatre scene after living in the United Kingdom for 18 months. Having performed in some productions herself over previous years including Sense and Sensibility (Canberra Rep, 2022), Be More Chill (Budding Theatre, 2021) and Oliver! (Queanbeyan Players, 2019), Freya is looking forward to participating from a different perspective with Canberra Youth Theatre Young Critics. Freya has a Diploma of Communication from the University of Canberra.
