Versus is a one man show (more or less) by Adam Lazarus about a day in the life of the rather unfortunate (if distressingly normal) Gerald Bloom and worse the day is his birthday.  It’s part of Summerworks and playing at the Theatre Centre.  While it is mostly a monologue, Lazarus gets assistance from Nicholas Eddie and Irene Ly who do rather more than shift props.  He also ropes in audience members, from time to time, to, for example, make him a smoothie or clean up dog poo.  If being acutely embarassed is not your thing then don’t sit in the front row!

Gerald wrestles with recalcitrant kids, his dog, a broken dishwasher (and the useless Maytag customer service department), his job as some sort of corporate morale boost consultant (“every crisis is an opportunity”).  Believe me there were many times in my corporate career when I wanted to ask one of these drones the then equivalent of “What about Gaza?”  But even corporate drones don’t usually discuss their penile blood clots over lunch with their boss.

Then there’s Uncle Benjamin (Ben-ya-min to you thanks) who is a Zionist and a Purple People Party candidate.  Family is all you have even if they are racist bigots.  Gerald’s day only gets worse with lots of poo, vomit and blood.  Even his kids’ playlist is about toilets.  I dare you to listen to this catchy little earworm…MEOW.  He breaks a tooth and has a surreal NO inspired dream about climbing Everest while some rather gruesome oral surgery is performed by Eddie and Ly.  At the end Gerald is left standing blood and vomit stained, in his underwear, minus a tooth.  And he still gets a birthday cake.  Such is life.

Lazarus is brilliant.  The sound design and lighting are excellent.  It’s very funny in a truly horrible and very dark kind of way.  Recommended for everyone except vegans and cyclists who are full of themselves.

There’s one last chance to see the show at 4pm today (Sunday).