And the Ass Saw the Angel
A play by Black Hole Productions
Napier Street Theatre, South Melbourne, until Oct 30
Reviewed by Lachlan Anderson
This play is an adaptation of the macabre novel by Australian rock musician Nick Cave. The story revolves around an outcast mute called Euchrid, a youth beaten by his parents.
Euchrid is a classic example of an alienated youth to the point of lapsing into a permanent madness. He believes he is the messenger, the mortal tool of his God.
The backdrop to this grim story is the cursed town of Ukalore, in which rain has been falling constantly for as long as anyone can remember.
Euchrid's hate for the townspeople focuses on the preacher, Abbey Poe, and his evangelistic grip on the town. Poe is also the custodian of an angel-like child called Beth, who is considered by the townsfolk to be the chosen one to lift the curse. Euchrid has a dark fascination for the child and spies on her in the cover of night.
If you have read the book, you can appreciate how challenging it is to present in theatre. Black Hole Productions, after two years in the making, has managed to do this in an inventive and minimalist way.
The play has only one actor (Shawn Unsworth), playing Euchrid. The story is supplemented by a host of puppets and puppetry techniques. The music, which was scored by Mick Harvey of the Bad Seeds, fits the play like a glove.