Oil Babies

Oil Babies articulates the anxieties around environmental issues and transforms them into a complex and rich text framed by a highly visual and visceral theatrical experience. The dystopian tone of the set design is echoed through the dialogue between the protagonists. The desire to have a child is tempered by a range of mixed feelings and attitudes related to the physical state of the earth and the moral, philosophical and psychological consequences for those who rely on the planet for safe dwelling.

The performers (Kali Hulme, Jodie le Vesconte and Fiona Macleod) provide a hard-hitting tour de force through the delivery of a variety of myths, facts, obsessions and compulsive behaviours aimed at preserving and protecting the environment. However, the difficulty of accepting the everyday demands of a militant green agenda is made poignant through the decisions they ultimately take regarding the creation of a family.

This play challenges the viewer to fully reflect on the impact of their daily choices and how increasing populations places enormous pressure on creating a sustainable environment. Yet the burden this creates and the responsibility it imposes seems too overwhelming and generates more angst and ambivalence than urgent and decisive action. This is powerfully contrasted by the spectacular configuration of the environment as a natural and sometimes angry force that does not have the luxury of time or patience.

Patricia Di Risio

Photographer: Lachlan Woods.