Todd & God

The message of a 21st-century religion comes clothed in the language of self-help psychiatry with a feminist perspective in this story of love, sacrifice, bacon sandwiches and the power of belief. Its parables are written in spiritually inspiring rhythms and tongue-tangling wordplay, alongside the more common poetic forms found today in rhyming TV commercials.  

Verbally rich storytelling is brought to us by two previous poetry slam champions, and Dan Coleman's simple staging allows the text to hold focus through humour, philosophy and human drama.

Writer Richard Marsh delivers his words with aplomb, physically delineating clearly between the three family members in his tale. Narrator Todd is a serial loser whose ultimate win is delivering hope back to a world whose previous religions have torn it apart. His wife Helen, on the other hand, is used to being in the lead and is less positive about the changes coming over her husband. Marsh's trinity is completed by Helen’s father Pete, a wayward vicar with his own crises of faith.

Sara Hirsch is equally limber-lipped as the voice of God herself, disembodied and heavily mic'ed for most of the play. Although the first few scenes suggest the God in question is a Christian-based figure, a more universal representation develops.

Meme humour and clever word wit don't always sit smoothly together but, in a show where humankind's failure and foolishness are celebrated, this sin is forgiveable.