Sisyphean Quick Fix is a comedy-drama lasting 55 minutes, written by Bettina Paris and directed by Nicky Allpress. It is currently being performed in the Below Theatre in the Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33).
It tells the story of two sisters, Krista (Bettina Paris) and Pip (Tina Rizzo). Krista lives in London with dreams of becoming an actor, working in bars between her auditions. Pip lives back home in Malta, recently engaged, and tasked with caring for their father. During the show, it is revealed that their father has always had a fondness for alcohol, to the point that it impacts his relationships with both his daughters and his absent wife.
Sisyphean Quick Fix is a funny, thought-provoking piece about the impact alcoholism has on families, and the pressure felt by children living abroad to return home to care for their families. It tackles the Sisyphean task of recovery, and in doing so, it is devastatingly honest in capturing the range of complex, and often contrasting, emotions felt by the two characters.
Paris and Rizzo have incredible onstage chemistry, to the point that it’s difficult to believe that the two aren’t sisters in real life. Both actors do a commendable job in their roles – Rizzo’s reserved acting contrasts with the more passionate style of Paris, highlighting the differences between the two sisters, and allowing the audience to draw parallels between Pip and her mother, and Krista and her father.
Sisyphean Quick Fix is a must-see at this year’s Fringe. It is sure to make any audience laugh or cry at the drop of a hat, and is a show that leaves its audience reflecting on it for the remainder of the day. It’s a fantastic debut for Paris’s writing, and with Allpress’s direction, it has made this production a stand-out for the festival.
