Narrow Graves is the third production I have seen by
Second Chance Theatre this year after the atmospheric Bye. Gone
and the apocalyptic relationship drama Coincidences at the End of Time. All three were written by Scott McArdle who is nothing
less than prolific with his debut musical Extra
Ordinary People due to hit Murdoch University’s Nexus Theatre in November. This
one is at the Drama Workshop also on the Murdoch campus.
McArdle is a young writer with great potential and he’s
certainly not afraid to explore provocative and dark subject matter such as in
this play. That he does so with wit, insight, and at times brutal realism is testament
to his writing ability – a skill that might take him to NIDA and beyond, all
things being equal later in the year. Not content with being the author, he
also does the lighting design and acts, notably in this one, naked for a large portion.
He is joined on stage by his Coincidences co-star Emily
David (as Charlotte) who plays a newly arrived ‘guest’ at a facility whose
previous owner was one A. Hitler. We quickly learn things haven’t changed much
as this unnamed place indulges in the kind of experiments that would not
be out of place in those evil times. David has an eminently watchable quality
that is powered by a stillness and calmness in her acting. This works to the
play’s advantage as her character is perhaps the only sane person in a bunch
that includes fellow ‘guests’ Juliet, a partially lobotomised, childlike
presence; and Ethan, stoically played by McArdle who stands naked in a bucket
of water as a form of ritual humiliation.
Charlotte’s guide, Benjamin (a doctor of some sort), is played
by Rhys Hyatt who obliquely explains the rules of this strange world. Hyatt portrays
the character with a mix of condescension and smarminess to amusing effect
though we soon discover a much darker side as he takes advantage of Juliet (Jade
Galambosi) for his own sexual gratification. Galambosi is sweet and tragic as
the damaged soul stuck in this horrid place.
The final character is The Warden, a strong performance by
Laughton Mckenzie. This is the charismatic yet unhinged ‘visionary’ who
demands complete obedience yet is unaware of the chaos his actions reap. Which is
ironic as chaos is the very thing he wishes to eliminate and the entire purpose
of this facility. A chaos brought about by emotion, love and sex, all sins to
be removed from the unwilling guests. Exercise time is a euphemism for joyless
sex as Charlotte and Ethan are forced to couple every day under the watchful
eyes of Benjamin and the Warden. The unwanted results of such ‘experiments’ can
be terminated with a syringe.
It’s all bleak and unrelenting but this appears to be
McArdle’s intention. A world without love, emotion and sex leaves people a
gibbering mess in the corner of a very dark place indeed. It is a cautionary
tale regarding the rise of conservatism in places such as Australia where
governments seek to control aspects of our lives that really are none of their
business. Ultimately though I wasn’t sure what the takeaway from this is as the
cycle repeats itself as even Charlotte crumbles in the face of such heartless
brutality. This was after an act of perverse kindness that did surprise me and
was shocking in its ruthlessly efficient staging.
There is black humour throughout to leaven this nightmarish
vision and it was interesting watching the power structure at play. This hierarchy
is most noticeable with Benjamin who lords over the guests but is obsequious
and subservient to the Warden. The performances are all strong but pitched very
differently with Hyatt and Mckenzie given licence to have the showier roles while
David, Galambosi and McArdle drive the emotional punch of the play. The set is
simple yet effective with good use of lighting guiding us through scene
changes.
This is SCT’s most overtly political piece and it’s
certainly not for the fainthearted. The creative team and actors are to be
applauded for producing a play that will make you think and wasn’t without its
own share of adversity in bringing to the stage. There are three more shows;
tonight at 7.00pm sharp (there is a lockout) with a matinee and evening show on
Saturday.
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