The Events

The Events
By David Greig. Upstairs, Belvoir Street Theatre. May 12 – June 12, 2016.

The Events draws on that horrific killing of 69 young Norwegians on an island by a lone gunman, but Scottish writer David Greig speaks to other similar events. It’s a seemingly random, reflective play of short vignettes around the furious quest to understand by a priest who, locked in the music room, survived a school yard massacre. 

Catherine McClements is totally credible as the affable, tense Claire dogged for answers.  At the end she finally gets to see the young killer in prison, and ask him why – and the answer is benal.  Johnny Carr plays the mass murdering Boy, plus, fleetingly, all the other players – his friend, his father, the journalist, the politician and, less effectively, Claire’s increasingly alienated female partner.

The real star is Claire’s choir, 20 or so non-professionals standing on bleachers and intermittently singing hymns to joy, peace and good times. Some have short speaking moments but the choir apparently changes every night, as do the songs.  The Sydney choir on my night was the Wycliffe and Pitts Street Singers, while the show’s demanding overall musical directorship is by onstage pianist Luke Byrne.  

Yet despite the nice singing and symbolism and stitched-in dialogue, somehow this choir is always out of the drama and never, as intended, belonging to that local community which, like Claire, has suffered this trauma.  So all this remains her own private, retrospective journey and, even with McClements, the quick scenes are sharp and observant but strangely unaffecting.  Greig’s determination to provide no answers to the horror, and rather focus on the redemption offered by a choral community, strips The Events of much suspense.

It’s directed by Clare Watson with a simple set and lighting both by Geoff Cobham.

Martin Portus

Photographer: Luke Cowling

Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.