The Violent Outburst That Drew Me To You

Before I even begin this review, let me congratulate Parramatta Riverside theatres on dealing with a pretty difficult situation last night. Picture this! Three performances, being juggled effectively by staggered starting times, one of them a children’s dance festival. (You’ve got! Lots of kids and twice as many parents and grandparents!) A stormy summer night. The foyer and courtyard crowded, and umbrella stands overflowing.

Meanwhile, backstage, - and this is sheer supposition, but I have been there, so it doesn’t take much imagination! – in the two smaller theatres, both stage managers are becoming just a bit concerned because some of the cast members are late! Still, the weather’s bad, so they’ll hold out a little longer! Then the phone calls come. The storm has caused a major problem with the railway system and the missing cast members are stranded at Strathfield! Obviously they’ll try to get there some other way as fast as they can, but what to do?

The staff at Riverside go into action. They announce the problem, apologise nicely, delay the opening times for half an hour – and ask us to be patient. At 8 o’clock they announce, again most apologetically, that one of the plays will open at 8.30 but they are still unsure about the other – but “Please have a drink on us!” The queue at the bar is long – and coincides with interval of the dance performance! However the bar staff cope admirably, the covered courtyard means the crowd isn’t too dense … and we wait.

In the end, this play goes ahead, opening an hour late, and the performance of the other (The Floating World) is cancelled. Patrons are offered seats for one of the next day’s performances, or any remaining seats to The Violent Outburst That Drew Me to You, or a refund. It is all dealt with very calmly and efficiently – and patrons were suitably understanding and considerate. Well done Riverside!

So, you might imagine that the cast of Finegan Kruckmeyer’s play about … well … teenage angst … could have been just a little thrown by the events of the evening, but there was no evidence of this at all. They were as energetic and enthusiastic as I imagine they would have been when they opened the previous night.

The play itself centres around sixteen year old Connor. He’s not happy at home or school and has a short fuse, which leads him into trouble. The ensemble cast (Emily Ayoub, Branden Christine, Anthony Weir and Kate Worsley) play the folk that people Connor’s world – parents, relatives, school kids, teachers and the girl that he meets (or perhaps imagines) in his grandfather’s shack in the forest where he is left to fend for himself for a week while he thinks about the mayhem he has caused at home and at school.

Kate Gaul’s direction has made the play accessibly appealing for a young adult audience. An aggressive dance routine choreographed by Ash Bee to music by Daryl Wallis sets the pace from the beginning and similar, well-planned and rehearsed choreography, sound effects and lighting allow effective changes of scene and situation, a fast fight scene (and a very good fall!). The use of a back lit screen and stick figures to accentuate changes of scene, and the movement of a clothes rack around the stage are distracting and a bit gimmicky – and probably unnecessary as the script takes the actors to the scenes quite efficiently. Still, it gives ensemble members something to do when they are not in action and will be appealing to a teenage audience.

The use of strong language, whilst probably not as gratuitous as it might seem considering Connor’s age and temper, could be a problem for some teenagers and accompanying adults and teachers should the play reach out to a wider audience! But Krukmeyer’s script, its language and its themes are typical of today’s youth and the way many of them see the world.

Michael Cutrupi shines in this production. It’s good to see him in a ‘starring’ role that allows him to use his talents in characterisation and movement. His energy and enthusiasm are infectious and he makes Connor appallingly lovable! All Connor’s angst and bullying and language are balanced by a real talent for comic timing and ability to appeal to and engage the sympathy of the audience.

Gaul has used the ensemble well. Their many characters effectively take Connor to all of the places and people that anger and confuse him. Weir’s changes from father to friend to sympathetic uncle are very clear and believable. Ayoub, Christine and Worsley take on all of the females that Connor teases and victimises. Using the three of them to play the ‘girl in the forest’ almost works – and certainly gives them equal time on the stage – but it is a little confusing and, once again, probably unnecessary.

All in all, the play and this production will have a real appeal to teenage audiences, and some strong messages for them – and their parents! And the whole cast and production team are to be congratulated for weathering the storm (pun intended!) of last night’s debacle and giving such an enthusiastic performance.

Carol Wimmer

Images: Michael Cutrupi, Branden  Christine and Emily Ayoub; Michael Cutrupi, & Branden Christine, Kate Worsley,  Michael Cutrupi and Anthony Wier. Photographer: Heidrun Lohr.