Project Arts Centre ***

A LONELY man goes out into the night to ask people to talk to him – over coffee, on a beach walk, or in a bar.

The encounters are presented to us by Melbourne’s Ranters Theatre, and ask a fundamental question – why do we open up to people we barely know?

The central character sits down consecutively with a man obsessed with rollercoasters, an insomniac chef, and a street performer, against a musical backdrop that shifts in tone with each meeting. The dialogue is naturalistic, and almost secondary to what’s actually happening – the experience of finding a connection with a stranger.

A sparse set (and some occasional video footage) forces us to imagine everything from the performer’s bird costume to a busy street at night.

The small cast of three deliver in multiple roles representing the versions of ourselves we present to the world. A fluid, thought-provoking work.

Runs until Friday