To say this show is just a theatre performance would be simplistic. Twenty Million Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Pummel Squad cannot be boxed into just one category. Presented onstage by creators and performers Harry McGee and Cooper Donald McDonald, together with sound designer and composer Yanto Shortis, the show is a lively explosion of creativity—a brilliant blend of comedy, live-action illustration, and music, all brought to life with quirky narration and the classic overhead projector (OHP)!
The three performers tell the story of Rasthomas Bulge, an ordinary fellow with an extraordinary name, represented in 2D illustration in various poses, depending on the storyline. He’s drawn in 2D but at times is represented by larger than life 3D narrators, who voice his thoughts. At other times, his thoughts are cleverly interspersed and gently made known, projected onto a screen. Combining shadow puppetry with stencils and rolling overlays, along with narration and acting, the creators move beyond the ordinary to present the story in the most original way possible.
Rasthomas is a car salesman with a bushy moustache. He is drawn with three curly springs of hair sprouting from his head, bright eyes and a snappy suit. As the audience is being seated, his creators are sketching him to life on the overhead projector bit by bit. It was fun watching Rasthomas become himself, and it felt like we were getting an art lesson as the lines morphed into a cartoon man.
He’s got a steady job, a steady social life, (albeit with a shady school friend, drawn to “look bad, and is worse on the inside”) and a steady, ordinary life with his family. At the heart of the story is Rasthomas, feeling unsatisfied with this steady life. He is clearly experiencing a mid-life crisis where he feels that there’s something missing. After meeting and selling a sportscar to a man who surprisingly looks a lot like him, Rasthomas goes in search of adventure.
Following Rasthomas to literally the ends of the Earth and sky, the audience is entertained with stories of him travelling from the depths of the ocean to the moon and back. In a nod to the novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea written by Jules Verne, there’s danger, daring escapes, sea monsters and even a bit of Casablanca cleverly woven in that ties right back to his wife. He realises after he has stepped out of his own shadow, that his ordinary life is something to be treasured, and perhaps looking at things from a different perspective brings acceptance.
Along with the lo-fi music and an almost continuous sound design accompaniment to the show, musician Yanto came out from his music station at the side to take centre stage. Standing in front of the screen, he sang an original song with his banjo ukulele as the projection rolled along, with the drawn buildings floating past with song. The audience loved it!
A memorable moment for me was one where we were introduced to Rasthomas’ four sons, drawn in lines, their portraits smiling. Their names were announced and revealed, read aloud as a list, with the first three son’s names rhyming, culminating with the youngest son being named Rasthomas Junior, which made me laugh as it was so silly. It was these witty bits of comedy, seamlessly woven in and delivered at surprising moments throughout the show, that gave the show a comedic charm which I thought was reminiscent of Roald Dahl.
Twenty Million Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was a 50-minute performance that seemed at times to be an improv. However, the Pummel Squad team cleverly crafted their skills to only make it seem this way, involving tag teaming the precise placement and flipping of stencils on the OHP, and quick delivery of quips and cheeky lines. Part of the 2025 Sydney Fringe Festival and already an award-winning show, this is one quick-draw scribby art combo comedy show (I did say it was hard to categorise it!) which will capture your sense of humour and your heart. Don’t miss this truly unique performance—there’s nothing else like it!
Season: 10- 13 September (matinee and evening performance on Saturday 13 September)
Run time: 50 minutes
Venue: New Theatre, 542 King St Newtown
Tickets: www.sydneyfringe.com/events/twenty-million-thousand-leagues-under-the-sea
To book tickets to Twenty Million Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, please visit https://sydneyfringe.com/events/twenty-million-thousand-leagues-under-the-sea/.
Photographer: Tom Noble
