Written by Lachlan Philpott
Presented by Q Theatre Company in association with Seymour Centre
Directed by Katrina Douglas
Reviewed by Catherine Hollyman
It’s not often you walk in to a theatre and have an instant reaction to the set, as was the case tonight. A grey concrete rectangle circumvented with a cold metal bench effortlessly portrayed the scene of both a playground and/or a truck stop. As we took our seats, the sound of children’s voices told us that, for now at least, we were watching the former. As a backdrop, digital images were projected against two floor-to-ceiling screens.
The synopsis tells us that Sam and Kelly are typical teenage girls, devoted to boys, their mobile phones, Facebook, magazines, music videos and movies. Bored at school and with their lives, they skip lessons one day and head to a truck stop on the highway. A truck pulls up. A dare is issued…
Having read this prior to the play, there was something disturbingly eerie about the empty, somewhat decrepit looking playground and the contrasting innocence of the youthful laughter that made me nervous of what was to come. The uneasiness intensified with the opening scene – or rather video - of three teenage girls dancing ‘like they do in the music videos’ to Rihana’s hit track Good Girl Gone Bad:
Easy for a good girl to go bad
And once we gone
Best believe we've gone forever
Don't be the reason
Don't be the reason
You better learn how to treat us right
'Cause once a good girl goes bad
We die forever….
The tone of the evening was definitely set.
As the song faded, the girls themselves walked on stage and took positions on the bench. The lights came up and Lachlan Philpott’s writing was let loose in all its glory. The pace was fast; the rhythm staccato; the dialogue energetic; the captivation of the audience impenetrable. Neither we, nor the cast, seemed to stop for breath throughout the entire performance. That’s not to say it felt rushed, for it didn’t. To have been any slower or interrupted with an interval would have broken the momentum that Director Katrina Douglas had so successfully generated.
The story of that fateful day, inspired by a real incident that happened in a NSW high school, is told to the audience by sexual-deviant and film star wannabe Sam (Erryn Jean Norvill) – the kind of girl parents hope their daughter doesn’t befriend; the lonely and looking for stability Kelly (Jessica Tovey); and recent immigrant Aisha (Kristy Best) who just wants to try and fit in to this crazy new world her parents have brought her to.
Norvill, Tovey and Best embody their characters to perfection, but it was supporting actor Elena Carapetis who really stood out for me. Carapetis plays all the other characters: from Aisha’s traditional Indian mother, to two different counselors, the teacher, the Westie boyfriend and everything in between. She glides smoothly from one role to the next without breaking a sweat, allowing the three lead characters to shine. She is the glue that binds their individual performances together to create one single production that has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
It’s one that everyone should watch – especially those with teenage daughters!
Booking Information
Dates: on now until 23 June
Venue: Reginald Theatre @ Seymour Centre
Duration: 90 minutes, no interval
Tickets: Adult $40, Conc / Adult Matinee $35
Book: http://secure.seymourboxoffice.com.au/tickets/production.aspx?PID=71494
