fortyfivedownstairs, 16 Aug to 8 Sep, 2013
Reviewer: Kate Herbert on 16 Aug
Stars:****
Review also published in Herald Sun online on Monday 19 Aug, 2013, and later in print. KH
In her confronting and
poetic play, Savages, Patricia Cornelius unveils the machismo and misogyny of a
group of mates celebrating their “trip of a lifetime”.
Four men, all forty-ish
and all with troubled histories with women, embark on a cruise, vowing to leave
behind their ordinary lives, dull jobs, bad divorces and unfulfilling
relationships so they can enjoy their freedom to the full.
Very quickly, the pack
mentality emerges when tough guy, Craze (Mark Tregonning), asserts his position
as top dog and the others (James O’Connell, Luke Elliot, Lyall Brooks) fall
into place behind him.
Cornelius’ thoughtful and
skilfully wrought script deals sensitively with the difficult subjects of
escalating male violence and the dangerous side of mateship and peer pressure.
On their first day on
board, the men investigate their surroundings like animals sniffing out
territory, all the time discussing – but not dwelling on – their disappointing
lives, dreams and failures, women, work and fitness.
Cornelius avoids
naturalism by using stylised language, poetic repetition and monosyllabic
dialogue that the men spit out like rapid-fire, automatic weapons.
Susie Dee’s taut
direction creates a menacing atmosphere without using overt violence, and the
opening moments, when the men appear out of the darkness as grotesque beasts,
has an overwhelming sense of threat.
In a tight ensemble performance,
these actors shift their characters incrementally from relatively innocuous,
often amusing pals, to a savage, snarling hunting pack in pursuit of the
weakest women.
Tregonning is embittered,
brutal and dangerous as Craze, while Brooks as George devolves from sensitive,
lovelorn man to rabid dog, ruining our hope of any of the men resisting the
drive to hunt and destroy.
Elliot plays the
underdog, Runt, with naivete and a need to belong, while O’Connell brings a
feral, desperate look to Rabbit, the frustrated mechanic.
These actors make us
laugh then gasp in horror, and one of the funniest scenes is when the men step
into their tiny cupboard of a cabin and realise that comfort and luxury are not
on the agenda.
The on-stage danger is
heighted by the ominous, pulsing roar of Kelly Ryall’s soundscape, Andy
Turner’s evocative lighting and a sleek design by Marg Horwell.
Savages is a disturbing,
abstracted and thought-provoking glimpse of the devolution of men from
civilised playfulness into bestial, instinctive action.
by Kate Herbert
By
Kate Herbert
Set and costume design Marg Horwell
Lighting design Andy Turner
Composition and sound design Kelly Ryall
Stage management Claire Shepherd
Cast featuring Lyall Brooks, Luke Elliot, James O’Connell and Mark Tregonning
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