Left - Christian Willis, Jonathon Dutton & Paul-William Mawhinney. Cover - Jonathon Dutton & Paul-William Mawhinney.
It’s a dark and stormy night as I rug up and head out reluctantly into
the elements to see the first Sydney production of Steven Snell’s
award-winning play Keeper at Downstairs Belvoir. It’s actually perfect
weather, really, for a play that explores the deep, dark and dirty
places within the human psyche. Or should I say the male psyche,
because really this is an examination of a very masculine world of
violence, loyalties and the bonds of brotherhood.
I’m not going to try and pretend for a moment that as a woman I really
understand such things. Sure, we chicks have our own ‘sisterhood’ and
sense of connection that’s facilitated by swapping relationship advice
and bonding over great recipes – but violence, real and absolute
doesn’t often make it’s way into our sphere. Ironically, though there
was an incident in the news this week that has a strong resonance with
the circumstances in Keeper that did involve female participants. In
England, a fifteen-year-old girl, off her face on drugs and alcohol
entered into a street fight, apparently to break it up. Armed with a
knife, one thing led to another, and now she’s been convicted of the
murder of an eighteen-year-old mother.
Keeper opens with a similar situation, as Kevin(Jonathon Dutton) and
his best friend Neil(Paul-William Mawhinney) pay a late night visit to
Russel(Christian Willis), Kevin’s older brother, who’s working in a
factory. The two mates have just been involved in a punch up at a party
that got way out of hand, and now someone is dead. Apparently the two
are innocent of the crime, but to witnesses, and no doubt the police,
it wont look that way, so they’ve fled. Russel’s no stranger to
troubles with the law. He’s fresh out of jail after a nine-year stint,
that in reality would have been much longer had the police discovered
the full extent of his crimes. Kevin believes that Russel is their only
hope to avoid capture. He knows people up North who can hide them until
the heat is off. But Russ is keen to go straight, hence his job at the
factory, and he’s not about to revive old shady connections without
some very good reasons. And so they set out to convince Russ to help
them, by whatever means they can, even if that means blackmailing him
to get him on side. For, you see, this latest incident proves to be
just the tip of the iceberg, as the two are in even deeper trouble over
the disappearance of a young girl in sinister circumstances. And it’s
this dark secret that proves to be the testing ground for their ties to
each other. Through the course of this tense one act play the three
will find their friendships challenged and their allegiances turning on
a knife’s edge as they move towards an ugly and chilling truth, that
can no longer be ignored.
There’s a lot of ground to cover, and a lot to take in over a very
short span of time in this play. The actors have to hit the ground
running, but still allow time for the audience to keep up. It’s tricky
stuff, and it takes a while for them to hit their stride and find the
right pitch, but once they do it’s gripping stuff. Christian Willis is
strong and stoic as the older and wiser Russel, who’s dark past is
etched into his face. He lends strong support to the action and helps
to provide the audience with an emotional road map through which we
interpret the events. Jonathon Dutton’sKevin (the little brother with
a chip on his shoulder) has a nice touch of honest naivety about it
that lends a good dose of authenticity to the work. While Paul-William
Mawhinney’sNeil is edgy and anxious, there’s an aura of the unknown
about him. We’re not quite sure what he’s capable of which adds to the
drama.
The playwright, Steven Snell, has a firm grasp of the working-class
vernacular, no doubt gained from having worked in a factory himself.
His colourful dialogue rings true and flows in a way that is truly
engaging.
Director, Paul Barry’s attention to the subtleties and beats of the
performance is well observed. While I did want the actors to slow down
a little at the start so I could get my bearings, perhaps that would
have stifled the piece’s realism. Either way I was with them completely
by the mid point and the piece ramps up to a very satisfying climax.
It’s also nice to see a director who likes to design his own sets,
there’s a commitment there to getting his vision just right. The only
thing that really didn’t mix well for me was the score (Nick Wales)
which felt slightly too stylised for this gritty production.
By the end of the play I was on the edge of my seat, wanting more and
fantasising about the phantom promise of a non-existent Act 2. Which
really is a sign that this piece is worth the price of the ticket
admission alone. More importantly though, it was a small house on the
night I attended and having missed the opening night fanfare it was
refreshing to see real punters leaving the theatre full of lively
discussion and conjecture about this thought provoking piece. Keeper is
sure to get you thinking about how far you’d be willing to go for a
friend or family member when they’ve done the unthinkable.
Two Hour Traffic presents Keeper by Steven Snell
Venue: Belvoir St Downstairs Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills Dates: 5 – 23 March Times: Tues 7pm, Wed-Sat 8.15pm, Sunday 5.15pm
Saturday matinees 15 & 22 March 2.15pm Tickets: $32, $25 concession, $27 group, preview $20, Pay What You Choose Tuesdays Bookings: 9699 3444 or www.belvoir.com.au
Where we watching the same play? It was too much explaination and not enough action. The dialogue was so clunky, and the attempt at a realist box set just cluttered the space. Why did the audience have to sit outside the room? Why not let us in this boiler room of tension? That\'s one of the reasons we go to the theatre... to be in the room where the action takes place.
And with an all-male team behind it, no wonder it was just another serving of straight white male crap. Again the girl is just some object, a photo of a bimbo on a pinboard in the breakroom. Back to the dark ages we go.
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