An interesting tackling of tackle multiple serious topics such as Section 28, parental rejection, and religious trauma

Wet Feet is a 2 person play written by Michael Neri and directed by Dominic Rouse. It tells the story of two men who meet in a gay sauna, one the younger confident Nathan, played by Matthew Edgar, and the other the older still closeted Franko played by Michael Neri, who also wrote the show. An unlikely romance begins to blossom as we find out more about the lives and idiosyncrasies of these two men.

The acting by Neri and Edgar is all round pretty solid. The comedic moments are played well with good timing, and the more emotional moments are delivered competently. There were a few noticeable moments where the script calls for the characters’ emotions to change dramatically with minimal provocation, which did not come across as believable or realistic. However, this is most likely a scripting issue rather than an acting one. The intimacy and romance aspect is played well by both actors, even if their unlikely pairing and interest in each other is never really explained, the actors were still able to make these moments semi-believable.

The script does have some strong moments. In particular the comedic aspects are done well, with solid jokes and witty dialogue that keeps the audience interested. Some of it did feel a bit more like part of a comedic sketch, rather than a conversation between two people, but in general the light hearted moments are where this script shines. It’s when more serious topics are brought up that the script and the show as a whole falls a bit flat for me. This is a one act show with a running time of just over an hour, so there isn’t much time to explore many topics in depth, and while I admire the ambition to want to tackle multiple serious topics such as Section 28, parental rejection, and religious trauma, there simply is not enough time to explore them deeply enough. The end result is quite cliched and feels more educational and preachy, than two characters actually talking to each other.

It was a minimalist set, with a single padded bench against the back wall next to a door, representing a private room at the gay sauna. The lighting was nicely done to convey the sauna vibes, and the soundscape that they had throughout the show I thought was particularly effective and helped to enhance the atmosphere. 

Ultimately, when I think about this show, the adjective I most want to use is fine. There’s nothing egregiously wrong with it, there’s some funny and entertaining moments, and it’s a fine way to spend an hour of your time. It’s not groundbreaking, it’s not side-splittingly funny, and it isn’t a tear-jerker. It’s fine. 

Wet Feet is playing at the Union Theatre until the 29th June 2024.