Canberra Reviews

Bill of Writes, part of the Made in Canberra season, showcases the work of the ACT Region Playwrights as well as Canberra actors and directors with six short plays. It’s a noble effort, and one with an interesting set of mixed results.  

The evening began with a warning to public servants and politicians as the silly season approaches: office parties and policy decisions do not mix. Christmas Hijinks followed in the footsteps of Yes Minister with its tale of a monumental stuff-up at the Department of Immigration. Bill Fleming clearly knows his subject matter and his actors had fun with their roles, Peter Fock almost too convincing as the drunken Deputy Secretary. But while there were plenty of moments when we should have laughed, many fell flat due to a combination of uneven delivery and the fact that successful jokes about Australia’s immigration policy are difficult to pull off.

Christmas Hijinks was followed by Jim Jones’ Alert, another tale of stupidity in power about an overly-watchful police constable with a compulsion to ID innocent people. Presented as a reading, this was a tantalising glimpse of what the play could have been, with strong dialogue from Jones and solid delivery from his three actors. It was a short piece, but managed to weave some thought-provoking themes into a simple concept without veering into moralistic territory. Max Barker was particularly enjoyable as the unyielding constable, building humour as his character became more desperate. With a bit of luck, Alert will have the chance to be acted rather than read some time in the near future.

Lifting Lucy, one of the highlights of the evening, continued this teasing sense of unexplored potential. Eris Jane’s story of an angry young woman with a degenerative disease, her ineffectual psychologist, a bitchy co-worker and an unpredictable unemployed man had humour as well as intriguing ideas. Jane’s characters were so well-drawn and so convincingly brought to life that they seemed to have escaped from a full-length production. Pat Gordon owned many of the scenes with his character’s comfortable belligerence, and while at times he threatened to over-shadow the other actors, they managed to hold their ground. Kat Brand brought credibility to Lucy’s rage at her disability and Brian Kavanagh was suitably pathetic as psychologist Nick. Jane’s characters and themes deserve more room, and an extension to the running time might also alleviate the slightly confused ending in which things are brought to a too-neat close.

Noeline Milson’s Sweet Labrador took a leaf from the book of SBS comedy Wilfred with a talking dog who has it in for his owner’s boyfriend. The similarity didn’t detract from the humour of the piece, which came mostly from Mike Kraaz’s hilarious delivery of Robbie the dog’s lines (not to mention barks and growls). While it’s unclear what would possess someone to want to perform plastic surgery on a pet, the ensuing conflict between protective owner Tabitha and her boyfriend was endearing and amusingly executed.

Next came Joan McGillivray’s monologue Smoking Kills, which proved that an engaging story can be created using only an apron, a milk crate and an actor who knows what she’s doing. Leith Arundel could have taken struggling checkout operator Sandra into grating territory with her comments on the strange habits of her boss Mr Gupta and tales of suburban woe. Thankfully, Arundel kept things sympathetic and balanced in this short and sweet karmic tale.

Katie Pollock’s Blue Italian provided the finale – one that required more of its audience than the previous offerings. This experimental play dealt with dislocation, communication and a sense of place through the eyes of a young traveller, a migrant grandmother, her granddaughter and a shape-shifting authority figure. A series of loosely connected scenes were interspersed with song and rhythmic movement, yielding some poetic results. The material did risk losing its grip on the audience at times, but the actors did not seem fazed by the challenge. Megs Skillicorn brought commitment and emotion to her role as the young traveller and Tony Cheshire was genuinely scary as the various authority figures. Jacquie Reid and Bronwyn Belcher created a lovely connection as grandmother and granddaughter, Reid capturing the wisdom and sadness of her character while Belcher charmed as the white rabbit of this Alice in Wonderland tale.

Bundling these six plays together could have created a disjointed result, but enough thought has gone in to the running order that the effect remains coherent. A special mention must also go to the sound and lighting operator who managed the demands of each piece with precision. It’s unlikely that you won’t find something to enjoy in Bill of Writes, even if it’s just the fun of comparing the relative merits of each play afterwards in the foyer. 


Bill of Writes
Part of Made in Canberra

Venue: The Street Theatre | Childers Street, Canberra City West
When: 12 Nov - 15 Nov 08
Tickets: Adult: $20, Concession: $15
Bookings: 02 6247 1223
Visit: www.thestreet.org.au