Beyond the Neck

There can be no doubt that significant courage is required to work with material as deeply disturbing as the Port Arthur Massacre. And yes perhaps “To acknowledge grief is to acknowledge love.” (Director’s program notes.)

Four actors, as actors, frame, and as assumed characters, re-enact in disjointed monologues form incidents, in individual lives, surrounding this profoundly traumatic event. A sense of dread and danger underlies the telling that is presented as a montage, not a narrative.

We know the basic outline of what happened at Port Arthur – it’s assumed knowledge. Some would have followed it intensely and have considerable insights. Some would have been touched personally to varying degrees and some touched profoundly due to experiencing traumatic life changing events.  It is volatile material that each audience member will receive uniquely. 

Roger Oakley, a consummate actor, shines as the Old Man. He portrays a strongly crafted archetypal character with crystal clarity. The Old Man, true to type, finds it extremely difficult to access his subterranean emotions. Oakley is well supported by, and supportive of, the younger cast members. Philippa Spicer presents a beautiful young wife and mother with unmitigated focus.  Emmaline Carroll embraces the nuances of a petulant teenager to great effect. Marcus McKenzie valiantly bridges the difficult characters of a troubled child with an imaginary friend and the somewhat ambiguously penned character of a psychopath.

The set, designed by Dayna Morrissey, is stunning, with its transparent, scroll like, paintings of cliff reliefs in the foreground of a mural of the coast, and the stage areas all colours of the sea.  The whole suggests dark power and timelessness. Richard Vavre’s lighting is finely tuned to enhance Ms. Morrissey’s work as is the initial chilling soundscape created by Philip McLeod.

All aspects of this production meld seamlessly into a whole and towards a focused culmination that still needs some delicate fine-tuning to offer the inferred release - through catharsis.  As the climax is approached and themes of torture and cold blooded murder converge, the counterpoint of string music does not entirely complement and support the rhythms and intentions of the actors. It seems to negate and distract from them, undermining their potential to affect as profoundly as they could.

This rich work has much to recommend it and on opening night was received with loud affirming enthusiasm.

Suzanne Sandow

Images: (top) from left to right Roger Oakley, Philippa Spicer, Marcus McKenzie & Emmaline Carroll. (lower) Marcus Kckenzie and Roger Oakley. Photographer: Jodie Hutchinson.