At the rough edges of society

Borderlines: three short plays
Griffin Theatre Company
Stables Theatre, Sydney
Until 21 April
Riverina Playhouse, Wagga Wagga
May 3-12

REVIEW BY BRENDAN DOYLE

There were a lot of young people — always a good sign — in the audience crammed into the tiny space of the Stables Theatre for these three plays, hoping for a night of exciting entertainment. We weren't disappointed.

The Griffin company, inheritor of the Nimrod Theatre's space in Kings Cross, continues its tradition of putting new Australian plays to the acid test. Two of these three new short plays survived their baptism of fire beautifully, producing memorable performances.

Katherine Thomson, who wrote the impressive Diving For Pearls, a play about the consequences of unemployment, this time has come up with Kayak, a theatrically intriguing, off-the-wall piece about life on the margins.

Wen, a compulsive baby-snatcher, has somehow ended up looking after Luke, a difficult 15-year-old who hasn't talked to her since his mother died of an overdose. He starts talking again, and his life changes, when a mate invites him out fishing on a boat.

Unfortunately, the two boys are foolish enough to throw some stale donuts at Ruth, a very uptight middle-class woman kayaker. Ruth tracks Luke down and starts hounding him over his "crime", but she finds she's bitten off more than she can chew. Wen and Luke turn the tables on her. As the plot takes more twists and turns than the Democrats' policies, we are caught up in a more and more surreal world that is crazy enough to be true.

Reg Cribb's The Return explores darker territory. On a late night suburban train, two young men recently out of prison tease and terrorise Lisa, a young law student. Maureen stands up to the two scary men, while a quiet man sits in a corner of the compartment, writing down the strange conversations going on. An atmosphere of fear and terror are carefully built up as our sympathies shift between the characters.

Finally, the most extreme violence comes from the most unexpected quarter. The thug is played most convincingly by Steve Le Marquand, who some will have seen in the famous felafel show in Sydney.

Directors Richard Buckham and Jeremy Sims have done fine work here, as have actor Andrea Moor and the younger, less-experienced Rebecca Massey, Raj Ryan and Brett Stiller. A Lost World by Evan Watts, while less striking than the other two, is a well-written piece.

All in all, a great night's theatre.

From GLW issue 443