When Icebergs Burn

When Icebergs Burn
By Michael Griffith. The Wolves Theatre Company. Northcote Town Hall. Aug 2 – 19, 2018.

An isolated tin shack in dense bushland, a fugitive daughter and a remorseful father caught between the cops, an encroaching bushfire and their own personal demons. When Icebergs Burn is a new play written by Michael Griffith and directed by Aarne Neeme for The Wolves Theatre Company.

The emotional journey slowly unfolds between Angelique (Lily Fish) and her father (Michael Griffith). She is an ice addict who has killed her boyfriend and an innocent shop assistant. He is trying to save her from life imprisonment, and is a lonely drifter who finds solace in his daughter’s ruthless drug fueled crimes.

Griffith has teased out his characters’ anxieties and sentiments with thought provoking ease and precision. Chained to the bed, Angelique’s father haphazardly supervises her  ‘cold turkey’ while pipe dreaming plans for escape to Madgascar where they can start again.  They have no concrete plan but despite their uncertain future they delve into their past, searching for meaning and resolution.

Neeme has directed a challenging piece of theatre and has cast well, with both actors giving raw and honest performances. Memories, personal guilt and tangled emotions create frenzied and dynamic responses for both characters as they grapple with their own miserable lives and their dire predicament.

The sound (Milie Levakis – Lucas) and lighting design (Adelaide Harney) are combined perfectly to create an eerie and uncertain atmosphere. The set design is, fittingly, the perfect shabby replica of the classic old tin shack.

A good piece of theatre - l recommend the experience.

Flora Georgiou

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