What’s most refreshing about Animal/People is its focus on the theatrical experience. This is not the bums-on-seats kind of programming that plagues contemporary Sydney theatre, but raw, glistening poetry with deeply engaged design. Though not the most exhilarating production you’ll see this year, it is a sign of great things to come from all involved.
Two voices emerge from the darkness – a man who abandons the victim of a dog attack while on his morning run, and a woman afraid for (and of) her wheelchair-bound son. These two characters weave a shared tapestry of memory, carefully shaped to reason through – and justify – their own unconscionable acts as parents and community members.
A full lockout is vital to the atmosphere that director James Dalton wants to build in the opening – we glimpse only faces at first, and Benjamin Brockman’s lighting is careful not to give away too soon the wonder of Dylan Tonkin’s exquisite set. To his great credit, Dalton eschews the current trend of immersion in naturalism in favour of expressionist architecture that keeps the two actors trapped.
The beauty of the design is that the tar-black gravel covering the floor leaves a residue wherever the actors touch. Their sweat-stained clothes mirror the black-streaked walls and the skirtings thick with grit. Lit with an omnipresent hostility by flickering fluoros, it is a space perfectly analogous to the cracks and stains left by their actions. Atmos is laid on thick by James Brown and Tom Hogan’s unsettling sound design.
Writer Brooke Robinson, whose short film Hunger was a highlight of ATYP’s Voices project, has here honed her visceral, intimate style of writing to a knife edge – the play is reminiscent of Dennis Kelly and the sustained shock of We Need To Talk About Kevin. It’s also very well cast, with both Georgia Adamson and Martin Crewes possessing a magnetic physical presence. The lighting seems poised to draw special attention to their strained, honed muscles and tendons.
While Robinson’s monologues are wonderfully delivered, the play enters into uncomfortable territory when the characters directly interact. There’s something unnatural to their conversation, and it is unfortunately distancing. This, combined with an unsatisfying conclusion and Crewes’ distractingly ocker accent, creates a disconnect that leaves a slightly bitter taste.
Though falling short of true greatness, Animal/People is indicative of the talent and quality material that is Rock Surfers’ focus, and a tense, engaging night of theatre.
4/5 stars
Animal/People is playing at Bondi Pavilion Theatre until Saturday May 16.
