Dogfight

Nations have sent young men off to war, underprepared, for generations, returning them to society unsupported, but who’d have thought someone could write such a poignant, gritty, affecting rock musical about it; a musical that juxtaposes the rock and folk idioms, redolent of the mid 1960s, with a distinct musical theatre voice.

A relatively sparse, satisfying script, seamlessly integrates with a dramatically rich, dense score, which always advances the narrative or the emotional and psychological core of the piece.

Naïve about their mission, a group of young US Marines in San Francisico, about to depart for Vietnam, have been institutionally desensitized to a point where their moral compass has shut down, as they participate in the ugly systemic misogyny of the traditional of the ‘Dogfight’ – the guy who brings the ugliest girl to the party wins the prize pool.

Dogfight plays out in a flashback, framed by a bus journey; as a damaged young Vietnam vet returns to San Francisco four years after the main events of the piece, we know from the start that we’re eventually headed for a dark outcome.

After great harmonies in a testosterone fuelled, high energy start, thrillingly choreographed by Camilla Jakimowicz, as the young Marines anticipate their final night before heading off to Vietnam, the appalling theme of the ‘Dogfight’ quickly steps front and centre.

Dogfight is a terrific piece of musical theatre writing, but it really demands two charismatic, talented leads of the calibre this production has united, to lift it above this ugliness and engage us with the journey. It’s sensitive, transformational performances from Luigi Lucente and Hilary Cole in the pivotal roles of initially tough young Marine Eddie Birdlace, and the insecure young waitress Rose, that take the piece to a whole different place. A warmth, truth, wit and humanity grows between them. Both also have versatile, to-die-for musical theatre voices and the dramatic instincts to take us to the heart of their songs.

Luigi Lucente creates an initially brash, yet intense, complex young man, quickly conflicted about subjecting Rose to the Dogfight of the musical’s title. It’s a hint of his inherent decency, which will be teased progressively to the surface during the first date / last night he and Rose share, at odds with the dominant institutionalized military influences and in stark contrast to his buddies.

Hilary Cole’s impressive musical theatre journey via Sydney’s boutique musical theatre companies continues with her most challenging role to date. Through body language, hairstyling and costumes, the attractive Ms Cole somehow convinces us she’s plain, yet finds Rose’s radiance, and convincingly establishes her growth throughout the arc of her short, yet personally epic, journey.

A feisty Johanna Allen fires in the high impact role of Marcy, the outspoken call-girl one of Eddie’s buddies pays to be his date and help him win the Dogfight, packing a broad comic punch, with an affecting edge of pathos.

As Eddie’s marine buddies, Toby Francis and Rowan Witt are excellent, convincingly creating two very different young men, both showing credible glimpses of the essentially naive boys beneath the surface bravado inculcated by their 13 weeks training.

A small, impressive supporting ensemble cast shift in and out of a variety of roles adeptly, with Mark Simpson at the forefront, cleverly characterizing so many and varied roles that he makes your head spin. Danielle Barnes ensures Rose’s Mama is sympathetic yet knowing.

Director Neil Gooding, choreographer Camilla Jakimowicz, and set designers James Brown and Georgia Hopkins have crafted a taut, simple, eloquent production, using the sort of basic props that work best in this venue to ensure a cinematic flow, in conjunction with effective lighting by Ross Graham and Alex Berrage. Elizabeth Franklin’s costumes evoke the diverse aspects of the era splendidly.

It’s hard to achieve a perfect rock balance in such an intimate venue, especially in the more in-your-face moments, yet Jed Silver’s sound mix supplies a balance where Isaac Hayward’s excellent band never overwhelms the voices, and lyrics are never lost.

In the end, Dogfight is a musical which never lets you forget institutionalised ugliness (still so pertinent, as recent events in Australian military training show it still continues), or the military returning young men to society lacking adequate skills to deal with the horrors of war they've experienced, or preparing them for rejection by shifting social opinions which blame them for an unpopular war which politicians sent them to fight.

What Dogfight does offer in abundance at the Hayes Theatre Co., is hope and a poignant humanity which transcends that ugliness, in a strong musical written by fine emerging American talents, performed impressively by a talented Australian cast.

Another compelling night of musical theatre at the Hayes!

Neil Litchfield

Photographer: Noni Carroll