"Sauce" is a very simply staged show - no set, no props, just two actors playing mutiple roles in a story of two young women who discover a friendship based on a common love of fast food and the various condiments that goes upon it. Ciara Elizabeth Smyth's script is a delight, an eccentric exploration of the inner lives of two unusual protagonists - Melia, a caregiver about to become homeless after the death of her grandma, and Maura, avoiding her unfaithful husband in the backroom of her part-time job - their meeting and the surprising bond that builds between them as they discover the things that connect them. It's fast, frisky, funny and a great opportunity for the two performers, Ashleigh Butler and Claire Imlach, to dive deep into the two characters and make them compelling, Butler as she gets caught up in her own fantasies until one lie too many makes things difficult, and Imlach facing humiliation with whatever dignity she can gather - and both find ways to differentiate their various side characters, from husbands to family members to co-workers to lawyers to dualling weight-watch-counsellors to delightful effect.
Christopher Samuel Carroll directs with skill and care - meaning the story works as a driving narrative as much as a demonstration of the performer's talents - it's a remarkably clear, powerful narrative given the number of diversions it takes along the way to a warm touching finale, and the use of simple devices to switch the performers from role to role works well. In the wake of the recent announcement that Canberra Youth Theatre is pausing productions in 2025, it's a good reminder too that young performers can thrive outside the nest if given a stage and a supportive production environment, and I hope that this production proves a strong launchpad to both performers - certainly this is something special that definitely deserves to go a lot further.
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