Two Plays by Caryl Churchill - Melville Theatre Company (15 February 2025)

A preamble. In two parts.

Part one:

The first play finishes. I scurry off to the lobby to type some notes into my phone. I'm by myself and madly processing what I've just seen. I wander back in and talk briefly with an adjudicator whose opinions I respect. I retake my seat and the lady next to me asks what I thought. I offer some tentative views to which her and her friend thank me for the explanation. I'm sorry, what? Explanation? I'm still processing and feel nowhere close to explaining anything! I reveal I'm reviewing the show. On leaving for the night the lady good-naturedly wishes me, “good luck!” This makes me laugh.

Part two:

I'm a huge fan of discussing theatre in the moment so I grab a drink and stay. For me it's an integral part of the overall experience. Cast members, two of which are also the director of the show they're not acting in, come over. We have a wide-ranging discussion about the plays; about theme and meaning and the playwright's intent. The writing is deliberately obtuse and, as a writer, I'm grappling to understand the intended effect. I'm also experiencing these plays cold; the cast have worked on the text for weeks. Talking about it helps me order my thoughts and clarify my understanding. We end up getting kicked out of the theatre as it closes. Such conversations are a delight.

All this is to say, bear with me as I pick my way through these reviews. I apologise if I'm not as concise as I would like. These are difficult plays, however, there are joys to be found in their staging and value in thinking about them.

ESCAPED ALONE - 55 minute one act play 

A neighbour joins three friends having a cuppa in a suburban backyard. They discuss all kinds of things; some trivial, some fraught, some surprising, some puzzling. Meanwhile the neighbour narrates a dystopian future that is shocking and deliberately provocative.

Director Lucy Eyre has assembled an excellent cast - Suzannah Churchman, Caroline McDonnell, Natalie Burbage, and Susan Lynch. It's a real pleasure watching the four of them inhabit such diverse roles - Churchman as the emotionally fragile friend with a feline phobia that explodes into a striking, if somewhat overlong, monologue that treads the line between bizarre and heartbreaking. Burbage, whose character would rather be invisible than face the inequities of modern life. McDonnell as the brusque friend who cares not for others' feelings before delivering a stark monologue about the murder of her husband with unexpected ramifications.

Then there's Lynch as the neighbour who intrudes and is our narrator of sorts as she delivers brutal descriptions of a dystopian hellscape supported by the projection of images of a planet in distress - whether by climate change, natural disasters, manmade follies, political stupidity, and social inequality.

The lighting design by Lars Jensen resonates with me, having recently been on a film shoot where there were transitions back and forth between real and imagined scenes. The techniques used here are similar albeit on a bigger stage. The world of the backyard is bright and lush with greenery; the dystopian visions dark and disturbing. Sound design by Myles Wright accentuates the discomfort. Video projections (visual design by Dylan Randall) hint at how the calamitous disaster came to be. The language is, again, deliberately perverse in its choice of imagery. 

I wait. 

For an epiphany that links the bleakest of visions with the seemingly innocuous reality of these women's lives. I recall that Caryl Churchill wrote Top Girls and my response to that play eventually coming into sharp focus with a glorious revelation.

I wait. 

No epiphany comes. 

Until I am assaulted with TERRIBLE RAGE.

Those two words. Over and over. Lynch absolutely laid emotionally bare and vulnerable. It's an extraordinary moment. 

This isn't subtext. This is straight up text as theme. 

It's an angry play. It roils and spits venom. I feel the writer's fury.  

The juxtaposition is absolutely intended. We sit and talk about idle fears and concerns while the planet burns. The dialogue is almost malicious in how obtuse it is. It's a writer demanding you pay attention and, I expect, get angry yourself. 

Does it work? In the moment, no. I think Churchill has done herself a disservice by being too obtuse, too elusive. You can sense the audience grappling like I was with any sense of meaning. If you take the time to sit down and think about it and talk about it then yes, it does work on that basis. But it's a hard watch and will likely prove divisive to audiences. However, it is a showcase for fine performances and impressive staging, particularly as the script format itself, I believe, is equally impenetrable.   

I brace myself after the interval...

WHAT IF IF ONLY - 20 minute one act play 

I'm greeted with an open box structure onstage and an apple featured in a glass case. There's a kitchen setting where Lucy Eyre has moved from directing duties to playing a woman who is mired in grief. She tells the tale of a man who tried to paint an apple, then not paint an apple, eventually concluding that perhaps he should have tried to paint an orange instead. 

Again, an intriguing opening gambit as Eyre's "Someone" wishes her partner were still alive; taken by tragic circumstances out of her control. It's a naturalistic performance. A relatable one. A moving and honest one. 

Until hyper theatricality comes crashing into her structured world in the form of Jarrod Buttery's "Future/s", Clare Talbot's "Present", and Tanisha Mavunduse's "Child Future". Again, the juxtaposition is clearly intended, deliberately pushed, and stylised. Director Natalie Burbage gives licence to the actors playing these fantastical characters to go big; not only in performance but costume and lighting (Lars Jensen) as well.

Buttery goes full tilt vaudevillian shtick; Talbot is almost maniacally insistent; while Mavunduse's brief appearance speaks to youthful mischief. The writing is circular - the same arguments and position are stated and restated as if these phantasms are beseeching "Someone" through sheer force of will and repetition. 

In the end, I suspect I've been conned by the verbal equivalent of sleight of hand. The apple story is the most telling. Yes, in our grief we may summon a flurry of thoughts - "What if I..." or "If only I..." but the apple will never be an orange even if you forget what it looks like as cherished memories fade over time. The apparitions are more a fever dream of a woman in pain and sorrow.

Ultimately, on reflection, I appreciate the decision to tackle both these plays. There's no getting around it though - the writing is deliberately obtuse; the juxtaposition of styles and tone purposefully jarring. This isn't theatre for enjoyment as such. This is theatre for discussion and debate. 

I would recommend that if you go and see these plays which are well acted and well staged, have those discussions and debates afterwards; either in the lobby, in the carpark, the next day, whenever. You may find you are well rewarded for the effort. 

Two Plays by Caryl Churchill is on at the Main Hall, Melville Civic Centre until 1 March.

Photos by Curtain Call Creatives

The Sound of Music - Melville Theatre Company (17 November 2024)

The success of any production of the beloved The Sound of Music is always going to hinge on the performance of Maria. In Hannah Charlotte the Melville Theatre Company has found its star who sings the iconic songs beautifully, sets the tone and leads the large company with style, and works seamlessly with the seven Von Trapp children, another barometer of success. Perhaps not quite as successful in depicting the romance with the Captain, it's an impressive performance nonetheless. 

There is real charm to the production, driven by Charlotte's portrayal and some lovely turns by the children; notably Quinn Dally as a disarmingly forthright Brigitta, and 9-year-old Halle McDonald who is utterly adorable as Gretl. 

Nigel Goodwin is suitably stiff and uptight in the early going as Captain Von Trapp before the character softens on recognising the impact Maria is having on his children. The transition to falling for her isn't quite there but we get swept up in the romance as the storm clouds of an encroaching Nazi Germany gather. 

In this it's a musical very much in two halves. The last time I'd seen the stage production was in Melbourne back in 2016 where, I confess, to being totally smitten with Amy Lehpamer as Maria. I'd forgotten though how many classic Rodgers & Hammerstein songs there are in Act One. It's a cavalcade of music theatre standouts - the title song, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, My Favourite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Lonely Goatherd, and Climb Every Mountain. It also strikes me, after recently seeing a modern musical which is relentlessly paced, how stately this is. It takes its time as it unfolds memorable song after memorable song with the story interspersed throughout. You sit back and savour the result. 

The second act, for me, isn't as successful because it gets a little bogged down in plot mechanics as politics and the subsequent threat to the Von Trapp family grows. Musically, there are a lot of reprises to those first act tunes leaving Edelweiss as the most notable song. We'll get back to that later.

This is a huge community theatre production with 22 listed cast members along with 13 Nuns and 3 Postulants. The roles of Marta and Gretl, the two youngest children, have alternates. So a company of forty. This lends the show a sense of scale and provides vocal depth and, in the case of the show opening Preludium, great beauty with so many voices in harmony. 

Director Neroli Sweetman has extensively used the floor space in front of the stage and the central steps leading up to it, again to give a sense of scale and spectacle. Guests in the second act party scene are stationed on either side of the floor; Liesl (Escher Roe) and Rolf (David Bell) sing the sweet Sixteen Going on Seventeen in front of the stage, left; the foot of the stage and stairs are utilised for the impossibly cute So Long Farewell. We even had three Nazis sitting next to us in the front row for the Kaltzburg concert!

The stage itself is well appointed with sumptuous furniture and rear screen backdrops to depict the Von Trapp household and, of course, the hills. Indeed, there is as large a number of designers and crew to support the size of the show, including two people listed for Continuity which is hardly surprising given the logistics involved. Musical Director Nick Navarra has used a backing track for the music which is sometimes a little too overpowering as it swells in grandeur, however, it has allowed him to focus on the vocal performances which are, mostly, excellent with one curious exception. 

Costume Coordinator Michelle Sharp has handled the task of costuming so many performers in so many styles with aplomb. From the more austere habits of the nuns to the clever evolution of the children's clothes as Maria's influence takes hold, to the opulence of the guests, practicality of the servants, and the severe trim of the Germans. It truly is shocking to see a swastika armband which is entirely the point.  

Sound by Mack Chidlow is generally good, however, microphone pickup was occasionally slow, especially in the larger numbers. Then there's the situation I didn't quite understand - Goodwin's mic was fine for dialogue but was surprisingly underpowered for his vocals. His singing, therefore, came across as tentative. I wasn't sure if that was because of the volume disparity or the volume disparity was because his singing wasn't as strong as certainly Charlotte's though he fared better in harmonies. It unfortunately cruelled Edelweiss which should have been an emotionally resonant moment.  

Other performers to catch the eye - Eilish Marie Blackmore as an empathetic Mother Abbess who guides Maria back to the Von Trapps and handles the challenge of the first act closer well; Peter Shaw and Imogen Porter as Franz and Frau Schmidt respectively who quietly add a little levity to proceedings until the mood turns as the Anschluss is enacted; Esher Roe as the oldest child Liesl in a lovely portrayal that couldn't be more removed from a role she played earlier in the year; and Darren Goodison who flirts with being too preening as Max Detweiler yet made me laugh with his "flowers and a certificate" shtick towards the end. 

This is a well-presented production of a perennial classic. Fans of the movie will lap it up. There were people happily singing along all around me. The scenes and songs featuring Hannah Charlotte and the children are simply a delight. Shout out to Choreographer Matilda Jenkins and Sweetman for staging these moments with obvious affection. A charming time at the theatre. 

The Sound of Music is on at the Civic Centre Main Hall, Almondbury Road, Booragoon until 30 November.  

Cast photos by Curtain Call Creatives

God of Carnage - Melville Theatre Company (15 September 2024)

Two sets of parents sit on either side of a lounge room. The topic of discussion? One child has hit another child with a stick dislodging two teeth. A serious matter requiring mediation. My mind wanders to similar scenarios such as The Slap where this sort of confrontation is fraught with emotion and conflict. Then something interesting happens almost immediately. This play isn't what I'm expecting; oh no, not at all. 

This is where we need to stop and talk about great writing. French writer, Yasmina Reza, knows what those expectations are and immediately sets about subverting them. It's as if she has decided to choose the exact opposite of every beat in the familiar trajectory of this type of story. It's clever, it's intriguing, and is an absolute boon for the actors and director who get to play against type in varying ways. It's also a joy for the audience as they pick up on the sly humour and mischief of it all. 

There's a use of language that entices with oddly constructed phrases and formal words that seem out of kilter with the setting and these characters. The unseen children are talked about as if they're adults and the parents slowly devolve into the antics of children as the play progresses. There are bouts of inspired lunacy as things become more frantic. Alliances form, break apart, and reform in surprising ways amongst the four characters. 

The writing is deliciously playful and smart in its subversion of expected tropes. The ultimate aim is to explore the fault lines in two marriages and chart their demise with a healthy dose of glee and black comedy. In short, I loved Reza's script. 

My curiosity is piqued from the get go. It was all so polite in the opening conversations. Characters were agreeing to certain statements instead of arguing. It felt like a comedy of manners. Things begin to slowly shift until a spectacular comic act makes it clear to any audience members who haven't picked up on the tone what's transpiring. I won't spoil it here but it had me squirming in the best possible way! Indeed, the movement of the play through its crisp 80 minutes with no intermission is best experienced without foreknowledge. 

The writing also allows for this - a fixed set and four characters only. No need for transitions to slow things down. Even when characters want to leave, the script finds ways to keep them trapped in this room. Director Thomas Dimmick has clearly given his cast license to play and play they do with the stage manager, James Gant, having quite the clean up job after the show ends. Again, I love this sort of messiness as it comes from the actors being free to embrace the absurdity of it all. There's a fascinating dance happening as the blocking reflects the shift in character dynamics and interactions.

Dimmick's set is well appointed with sumptuous lounge chairs and lounge, a wine rack built into a cabinet, a coffee table that will weather any form of precipitation, and ceremonial African face masks mounted and lit (Clare Talbot) on the rear wall. Costumes by Michelle Sharp reinforce the differing status of every character in relation to each other and how they see themselves. 

The actors rise to the material and you can sense their joy at sinking their teeth into such well written fare. Brian O'Donovan plays what at first appears to be the everyman father who sells domestic supplies and has a dislike for rodents. His Irish accent and cheeky laugh make for a genial portrayal of a guy who simply wants everybody to get along... until we scratch beneath the surface. Taneeka Grant is the serious minded writer who goes from being passive-aggressive to openly hostile to unhinged as the aggrieved mother who's horrified at what's happened and her husband's attitude towards it. 

Patrick Derrig is the high flying lawyer glued to his bluetooth as calls periodically come in. His matter-of-fact nature and greater concern for a possible class action lawsuit eventually rubs everyone up the wrong way... including, amusingly, some audience members who audibly cringed every time his mobile vibrated with another call. Ruhama Rowe leads the fightback in defending her son while excelling in outbursts of physical comedy that caught me off-guard which made them even more potent. At one point a bottle of rum is added to the equation which only exacerbates the inherent grievances and misgivings each character has towards the others. 

I really enjoyed this. Beautifully written, wonderfully acted, and smartly directed. It was a smallish crowd for the Sunday evening show, however, I expect positive word of mouth will drive those numbers up as this is a real gem. 

God of Carnage is on at Melville Theatre until 28 September.

Photos by David Cox

The Deep Blue Sea - Melville Theatre Company (19 July 2024)

Financial security and status versus impulsiveness and passion. One a secret, both seductive in their own ways. The rock and the deep blue sea Hester Collyer (Anna Head) finds herself caught between in Terence Rattigan's play set in post World War Two Britain. It's all too much for such a sensory woman as Hester who attempts a desperate solution to end her woes. 

It's an arresting opening to a complex and nuanced character study. Hester's tragic plan is only a shilling's worth away from succeeding. She is found unconscious in her flat by the landlady and neighbours who enlist the service of an alleged doctor and call Hester's estranged husband, Sir William Collyer (Neale Paterson) who is an eminent judge. Over the course of that day we meet Hester's lover, Freddie Page (Steven Hounsome), a former RAF pilot who struggles with his own demons by way of the bottle. We begin to understand the nature of Hester's trauma in her interactions with Freddie, Sir William, and various other characters who periodically check in on her, rightfully concerned. 

As an audience we watch in growing fascination and anxiety about where this may all end. Our deepest fears seem justified in one chilling sequence before salvation arrives from the most unlikeliest of sources. We collectively breathe a sigh of relief. It is a rollercoaster of emotions for both the characters and the viewer.

It is a handsomely staged production. Director Barry Park has wisely moved the raked seating closer to the stage which puts us right in the swirl of this most intimate of dramas. The set is beautifully lit and appointed; the costuming is excellent in representing the status and emotional hue of each character; and the original music and sound design adds tension in moments of unease. The repeated use of the song I Only Have Eyes For You takes on subtly different meanings as the story unfolds.   

All this is in service to the performances which are excellent across the board. What struck me most though was the range of those performances. The neighbours, Ann and Phillip Welch, are earnestly portrayed by Sacha Emeljanow and Rhys Lander. They seem genuine in their concern for Hester and the ramifications if the police were to be involved. Lander has a lovely sequence in the second half where that earnestness works against his character truly empathising with Hester. Head delivers Hester's barely contained sarcasm in response in withering fashion. Indeed, there are many great putdowns throughout the script. But, crucially, they are uttered casually without adding unnecessary and showy spice.

Rose McKenna and Zane Alexander add sly humour to their characters, the landlady Mrs Elton and the somewhat mysterious Mr Miller. The comic touches are a nice counterpoint and occasional respite to the drama. In McKenna's case it also disguises, or at least makes entertaining, the imparting of critical tidbits that help move the plot along. It's an amusing portrayal of a woman who can't help but reveal the sort of secrets a landlady would accrue over a lifetime of dealing with all kinds of tenants. 

Alexander crafts a most interesting arc for the enigmatic Mr Miller who is almost a bit player to begin with but blossoms into something far more compelling as his background is slowly revealed. With a clipped German accent and curt speaking style, Alexander mines a lovely seam of incidental humour before becoming a true voice of empathy in a beautifully staged sequence. It's my favourite recent performance of his. 

Alex Comstock as Jackie Jackson felt a little young for Freddie's knockabout, former RAF buddy but acquits himself well. Hounsome, as Freddie though, gives another layered performance that was a little trickier to pin down. Freddie could be construed as a cad - and there's no doubt Hounsome gives the former pilot a theatrical bent verging on narcissism at times - but there's far more at work here. His hinted at alcoholism hides fears that he is past it - as a test pilot and maybe as someone who can continue satisfying Hester's yearnings and needs. It's a nicely judged performance.

In contrast, Neale Paterson's Sir William Collyer is a representation of reason versus Freddie's theatrics and Hester's emotional tumult. Superbly attired as befitting a man of Collyer's status, Paterson is all stillness and formality. You sense that Sir William does indeed love his wife and wants her back but has no way of understanding or connecting to her emotional and physical needs. Paterson gives the judge a slightly exasperated air of someone who can't understand why money, status, and the platitudes of love aren't enough.

Then there's Anna Head as Hester. What a character. What a performance. Full of layers, complexity, and contradictions. Head plays her at times as bursting with emotion verging on the melodramatic and, at others, as repressing her true feelings whilst putting on a brace face. She can be restless onstage, prowling around or fussing about with folding clothes or polishing shoes; or still and measured when considering her next steps, some of them awful. A vast range of emotions flicker across her face as Head lets us into Hester's inner turmoil. Park knows the calibre of performer he has as his lead and lets dramatic beats linger, fully trusting Head such as in the closing moments. We sit with Hester and watch, rapt, as the play masterfully concludes. 

Barry Park continues to tackle complex plays such as The Deep Blue Sea with great precision and empathy. Several of the coterie of actors he regularly works with feature here - Head, Hounsome, Alexander & Comstock. He also enlists the services of top notch designers and crew such as Costumier Merri Ford, Lighting and Set Designer Mark Nicholson, Music Composer Myles Wright, and Sound Operator Charlie Montgomery. This is a well performed, nuanced character study that is handsomely presented and beautifully executed. Well worth a look.

The Deep Blue Sea is on at The Main Hall of the Melville Civic Centre until 3 August.  

Photos by Grant Malcolm.

Sweet Road - Melville Theatre Company (17 May 2024)

The road movie has been a staple of cinema for decades. From Easy Rider to Thelma and Louise and Little Miss Sunshine with notable Australian contributions such as The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the Mad Max franchise, and WA’s own Last Cab To Darwin by playwright/screenwriter Reg Cribb. It’s a genre that emphasises themes of self-discovery, freedom, and transformation that comes more from the journey than the destination. But given its reliance on wide open spaces and continuous movement from place to place how does one translate that effectively onto the stage?

Director Vanessa Jensen’s answer is to quite ingeniously use dual revolving sets, minimal props, and evocative lighting and sound design to represent the various vehicles and stops along the way. Debra Oswald’s play feels very filmic in its origins so the fading out from a scene on one of the revolving sets to the adjacent one is the equivalent of a movie transition as we cut from location to location.  This works well though the timing of the lights down on one revolve and lights up on the other might have been executed more crisply to maintain that illusion. The downstage area is utilised when more movement is required in a scene or where characters’ stories, particularly in the second half, intersect. 

Lighting Designer Lars Jensen provides the colour palette that creates the bright sunlight of regional Australia, twilight at a caravan park, or the harshness of a payphone at a roadhouse. Sound Designer Alan Gill fleshes out the world with everything from native birdlife, the cacophony of the road, snippets of radio broadcasts, and a feature of most road stories - music. The elements also play a key role in the second half of the story with rain effects teasing our imagination with swollen rivers and flooded roads. The combination of lighting and sound reaches a zenith at a critical moment towards the end of the first half where a life-changing moment is shockingly depicted. 

The story itself takes its characters on a journey, physically but, far more importantly, one of growth and renewed perspective. Jo (Madelaine Page) is running away from her husband's betrayal; Carla (Jackie Oates) and Andy (Brian O'Donovan) head north seeking new opportunities; Michael (Christopher Hill) hides from a personal tragedy he cannot process; Frank (Gino Cataldo) is stuck in a kind of stasis after his wife's death; and Yasmin (Jessica Palokangas) hitchhikes towards the thrill of young love. Some characters will meet and affect the trajectory of each other's journey in varying ways as will the harsh Australian landscape. 

Page plays the city dwelling wife who is devastated on seeing her husband kissing another woman with a brittleness that is understandable and relatable. Her Jo flees the city totally unprepared for the travails of the road where she picks up the hitchhiking Yasmin and, later, meets the profoundly damaged Michael. These interactions will sponsor a change in Jo's own self-worth as Page subtly moves her from impulsive angst (the trip to dry lake) to a far more kindly presence to herself and others. 

Oates gives her frazzled mother and wife Carla a real Ocker tone with undercurrents of despair and cynicism. She will do anything to protect her (never seen) children and creates that relationship with gusto. Unable to deal with husband Andy's own worst impulses, Carla discovers genuine empathy and purpose in the generosity of the older widower Frank. Oates exuding optimism as Carla sits behind the wheel at the end is a delight.

O'Donovan's Andy is certainly a handful with an endless optimism and lack of impulse control when it comes to gambling. He plays the character with no off switch and while we sense the love for Carla and the kids, we also understand how grating Andy must be. O'Donovan has fun interacting with Browndog, the best invisible dog performance I've (not) seen! 

Christopher Hill has perhaps the most notable arc with Michael who is almost comatose with grief in the first half. A strapping lad, the withdrawn presence is an extreme counterpoint to the larger performances in other strands. His monologue about the source of his grief is devastating and Hill imbues the character with concern and a hint of life after meeting Jo.    

Likewise Cataldo's Frank is revitalised after meeting Carla and finally undertakes the canoe trip he always wanted to do. Interestingly, Palokangas' dreamy portrayal of young love turns into something more muted as realism sets in. 

Charlie Young plays another kind of passenger in Curtis who is an opportunist and catalyst for Carla's break with Andy. Young has some lovely understated moments stuck between the bickering couple before exploding into fidgety action. 

The cast is rounded out by Laura Mercer as a not smug (maybe sometimes) Policewoman; Clare Talbot's salt of the earth Mechanic; and Michele Sharp's bemused Receptionist. 

Sweet Road is a play that grew on me as the various story strands contrasted and then complemented each other. All the characters change - most for the better, some in less happy ways. The coming of rain in the second half brings with it a certain cleansing and different kind of flow to the road. The use of the revolves mean that scene transitions move quickly and smoothly. The recreation of time and place is well done with mention to the costumes by Michelle Sharp and use of road maps in pre-smartphone days. All the characters are clearly delineated but their arcs are cleverly intertwined and realised. I loved the authenticity of stories about childhood holidays to caravan parks and the early morning excitement of such trips. A lovely addition to the road trip canon. 

Sweet Road is on at the well appointed new home of the Melville Theatre Company - The Main Hall, Melville Civic Centre - until Saturday 25 May. 

Twelve Angry Men - Melville Theatre Company (3 May 2014)

New York. 1957. August.

A jury room.

It’s hot. There’s no airconditioning.

Things are about to get a lot hotter as twelve strangers file in.

The fate of a 16 year old boy is on the line. Accused of stabbing his father to death. A guilty verdict means the death penalty.

It’s an open and shut case…

Except for one dissenter.

So begins the classic play Twelve Angry Men brought to life by the Melville Theatre Company.

It’s refreshing in an age of multiple CSI and other crime procedurals where murders ever more heinous are graphically detailed and dissected, to revisit a simple, well written character study such as this.

It’s classic drama. Take twelve people with different backgrounds and viewpoints, put them in a claustrophobic environment where they are forced to make a unanimous decision then watch the fireworks as prejudices and assumptions bubble to the surface. The stakes? Nothing less than a kid’s life.

Emotion versus logic. Facts versus assumptions. Arguments about what exactly is ‘reasonable doubt’. The play is carefully constructed to call the ‘obvious’ guilty verdict into question and ultimately to completely overturn this. All because one man wanted to know more, to talk a while because taking another person’s life no matter what their background, no matter what they might have done deserves thought and consideration.

That man is Juror 8 played by Gino Cataldo who slowly sways his fellow jurors calmly using reason in the face of emotion, bigotry, and apathy.

His main rival is Juror 3, played by Phil Barnett, who is hot-headed, temperamental and doesn’t want to waste any more time than he has to in this stifling room.

The play has a lovely symmetry in that it’s Juror 3 who ends up the sole dissenting voice before caving in whereas Juror 8 started isolated and belittled.

The set is simple – the juror’s table and chairs with a broken fan, a water cooler, and one window opened for blessed relief from the heat. Everyone is in suits, coats quickly shed as the temperature rises.

Allegiances and the voting tally changes as accusations fly and home truths are revealed. The request for various votes throughout the play details the shifting ground and gives the opportunity for dismay and disgust as people are called to account for changing their minds. In this there are, deliberately, more forceful characters than others. But even the meekest gets to have his say. 

The standouts in the cast, for me, were Barnett as Juror 3 who is all coiled anger and resentment as he thunders away at the others as his position is slowly eroded. He is appropriately loud and physical. The source of his character’s rage is nicely revealed at the end as all resistance leeches away in the play’s final moments.

Michael Dorman as Juror 7 is also very strong as Juror 3’s prime ally for much of the play until unexpectedly reversing his vote. Willy Smeets as Juror 11, the immigrant with a heightened sense of justice, adds moments of humour, something that is pretty light on the ground and therefore welcomed. Phil Lord has the big speech revealing his character’s bigotry late in proceedings that literally takes the air out of the room. It’s delivered with a gusto that makes it all the more horrifying. Juror 4, Alan Kennedy, adds a certain gravitas as he is convinced of the boy’s guilt but plays this with his own form of reasoning to counter Juror 8’s and not the bluster of Jurors 3, 7 and 10. His change of heart is telling and well conveyed. Cataldo is solid in the pivotal role of Juror 8 but perhaps too calm and measured. It’s a tricky role as his main antagonists have much showier parts.

Indeed this is a solid production all round, directed by Vanessa Jensen, starring Garry Davies, Cary Hudson, Warren McGrath, Phil Barnett, Alan Kennedy, Brendan Ellis, Will Gawned, Michael Dorman, Gino Cataldo, Tom Rees, Phil Lord, Willy Smeets and Jeff Hansen, and on at the Melville Theatre until 17 May.