'FLICKER, F**CKER’ by Dolores Rice is an unflinching, and emotionally charged meta-play. Themes of vulnerability, human connection, and the complexity of the artistic experience are confronted. Set in a theatre about to present The Flick by Annie Baker, the story follows "Her," the director, as she grapples with past traumas and creative relationships.

 

In a dialogue with “Them”, a character representing various aspects of “Her’s” psyche and societal expectations, an Everythem, so to speak, they navigate layered conversations about pain, rage, theft, identity, and the search for meaning. In a quasi-Beckettian scape, they delve into the struggles of being an artist, a woman, and a human in a ruthless and cut-throat world. Confronting realities of personal trauma there is a gut-punching focus on issues of sexual consent and agency. Flicker oscillates between moments of unexpected humor catching the audience off guard, and profound introspection, as Her comes to terms with past experiences.

 

Though set on a stage in a theatre, as the text unfolds it becomes clear that this is a liminal space, where memory bleeds into the present, truth becomes relative, and we are asked questions around what stories we believe, why, and who has the right to tell them. Her’s history will play out on snippets on screen as she delves into her past. Dance and movement will be used initially to say what she cannot. The piece is to be scored throughout by a penetrating soundscape to keep audiences' senses keen and alive. In an act of reclamation of self and Her’s
body, Her moves from acted upon to acting on. 

 

Flicker, F**cker tackles the almost catastrophic impact of betrayal and sexual violence in a way which is necessarily bold and unflinching.