Jasper Jones

What is it about Western Australian writers that produces such cracking stories? Transfixed during this production my mind cast back to Cloudstreet; with Jasper Jones it shares buckets of humour, suspense, and life and death struggles with an air of authenticity you can almost taste.

The play adaptation is now in its return season to Belvoir and will soon to be released as a movie. The story of the bookish white Charlie Bucktin (Tom Conroy) whose life changes forever when the part Aboriginal Jasper Jones (Guy Simon) knocks on his window, to alert him to the discovery of a terrible crime, has the feel of a classic.

Seeing it on Australia Day meant there was an enigmatic speech from the company’s Artistic Director Eamon Flack before the play began, explaining that, prior to 1788, the local tribe used to tell stories on the hill where the Belvoir theatre now resides.

At the curtain call there was a polite demonstration from the cast displaying signs saying ‘always will be Aboriginal land’.

Jasper Jones is a seamless integration of a knock out story, beautiful acting and an elegant production.

A special mention to the set design by Michael Hankin. The rustic fibro cottages (from a fictional 1965 WA regional town) twirled on and off the stage underneath the tree which is both the crime scene and a confessional.

There are two new cast members from the last season. Stepping into the big shoes of the adaptor Kate Mulvany was Kate Box as Mrs Bucktin and Steve Le Marquand as her husband.  Both were stunning.

My favourite character was the Vietnamese character Jeffrey Lu (Charles Wu).  What better way to mark Australia Day than to celebrate with a new immigrant who so wholeheartedly embraces our cricket culture.  It was an antidote to the darker sides of Australia on display during the story.

PREVIEW AND BUY SCRIPT HERE.

David Spicer

Photographer: Lisa Tomasetti