Road Movie, July 29, 1996

Written  by Melissa Reeves

Back to Back & Melbourne Workers' Theatre

Lonsdale St. Power Station until August 10, 1996

Reviewed by Kate Herbert round July 28, 1996

The road movie genre is a modern version of the mythic "Hero's Journey" where the hero leaves a secure environment, takes a journey, makes mistakes, pays the price, seeks a mentor, endures hardship and tests of personal strength. They do not always end happily. Think of Thelma and Louise.

Such is the plot of Road Movie. Two workers from a sheltered workshop in Melbourne are involved unwittingly in a violent payroll robbery and become fugitives from justice. What enhances this production is that its protagonists are played by actors who themselves have some intellectual disability. Both have been members of Back to Back Theatre for some years.

These actors are committed to representing the way the world treats those with disabilities and to tackling issues arising from living with disability. This in no way suggests that they are token members of this production.  Sonia Teuben as Karen who goes in search of her long-lost parents, gives a gripping, unaffected and passionate performance and Mark Deans (Louie), with his cheeky, mobile face and snappy moves, remains one of my favourite local clowns.

The play begins dramatically with the narrative's ending. The audience, as is common in non-traditional industrial venues, move from location to location within the Lonsdale Street Power Station. The whole takes full advantage of the stark concrete environment and its potential for vivid and dramatic lighting (Ben Cobham).

The script by Melissa Reeves, regular writer for Melbourne Workers' Theatre, is simple and direct in its narrative and dialogue and includes a range of quirky and effective comic characters played by Kate Gillick and Tim Aris. The naive errors of judgement by Karen and Louie are both funny and dangerous.  The play has an emotional edge which could have been further developed. One concern was that the ending remained unclear.

Director Bruce Gladwin has worked boldly with huge slide projection, mechanical devices, broad characterisation and a further layer of pumping rock music by Hugh Covill. This is a charming and entertaining production.

Kate Herbert