Trailer

In 2014 Tantrum Youth Arts were invited on board as 'Artist in Residence' for the now defunct Wyong Shire Council (hello CCSC). Highly regarded playwright Vanessa Bates conducted a series of workshops and candid interviews with Central Coast youth – and in the process became enmeshed in undoubtedly the most typical of Coastie phenomenona – the eternal commute by train between Sydney and Newcastle.

Thanks to an evocative soundscape by Jess Blackburn and minimalist set by Joshua Maxwell (comprising mainly of blocks painted an instantly-recognisable shade of Inter-Cityrail Green), that was all that was needed to allow the audience's imagination to vividly fill in the blanks.

The play skips deceptively lightly over themes of modern family values, friendship, belonging, small-town gossip, teenage peer pressure and not judging books by their covers, and while the commuting motif is a very strong theme, does not dilute the prosaic imagery and cheeky humour of the tightly-written script.

The cast of two youths and two 'grown-ups' (Jackson Vaughan, Tallulah Cobban, Angie Diaz and Christopher Saunders) work extremely well together and therefore deserve equal praise as an ensemble.

While the (hilarious) local references are undoubtedly Central Coast-centric, the acerbic observations of 'Cityfail' ensures that this little snapshot of regional suburban Australian life remains relatable. Fluid and inventive direction by Anna Kerrigan does brilliantly to reinforce the play's universal relevance.  

Rose Cooper