REVIEW: Cassidy's Answers for Disquieting Questions

June 23, 2025

 

Cassidy's Answers for Disquieting Questions 
Presented by Shopfront Arts Co-op 
Reviewed by Alexandro Gould-Arocha

Cassidy’s Answers to Disquieting Questions is an intergalactic journey that takes us across highways, bus stops, hotels, and even to the end of the universe. Cassidy West is a teenager who has the task of taking a mysterious duck across the universe, she is lost and confused and stumbles her way through an unfamiliar place.

This show is Shopfront’s 2025 Members Show Production, written and directed by Robin Bedward. Cassidy’s Answers to Disquieting Questions is an impressive debut work for a talented theatre-maker as a compelling story that integrates an engaging story with impressive lighting, sound, and video design.

Alani Winn leads the show as the titular character, and guides us on her journey through this strange world. Winn portrays Cassidy’s characterisation cleverly, with deliberate choices that allow for her character to evolve throughout the play. 

 

 

Lucy Mottram and Tejas Lorenco play various characters throughout Cassidy’s journey. Lorenco has great moments of physical comedy, and great variation of voice between characters. Mottram’s physicality and voice between characters are very engaging and sets each character apart.

There were some really clever moments of theatricality throughout the piece which were enhanced by Georgia Tyrril's lighting design and James Brown's sound design. There was a particular moment towards the end of the play which felt really surreal and was quite engaging. The ensemble performers conveyed their thoughts through their physicality as they their voices were played over the speaker. Cassidy’s nervousness and panic started to unfold in this moment, which upped the stakes of her journey.

 

 

Bedward sought to tackle very disquieting questions in an unfamiliar world. His ambition in telling this story was quite palpable, and I’m excited to see where his future work goes. I feel like his vision exceeded the 55 minutes of the show, however the gaps were cleverly presented through the use of a series of projected images that perfectly reflected the vibe of the show. There were some moments where I wished to see these images portrayed on stage, but the ones that were enacted were compelling and drove the plot forward. 

The story was clear enough from very early on in the play, and the worldbuilding was very intriguing but I would’ve loved to have a bit more of an understanding of the world and its creatures. 

 

 

The lighting design was very striking and there were many complex images created through the design. I particularly loved the use of lighting in movement sequences, and when they used flashlights to heighten the energy and emphasise key moments in the work.

This work was mentored by Nathan Harrison, and is the most recent production from the long-running Members Show program. This program develops young and emerging artists into exciting theatre makers by supporting artists in both developing and presenting a new work. I’m excited to see future work by these talented artists. 

 

Cassidy's Answers for Disquieting Questions ran at Shopfront Arts Co-Op from the 19th-22nd of June.

Images by SIX84 Photography