They say you should never judge a book by its cover, and while I’m loath to borrow a cliche,Brother Danielhas turned me into a firm believer that you should never judge a play by its poster.
With a low-resolution image and a black standard font placed thoughtlessly over dark patches of background, it’s not the most convincing promotional material. But don’t be fooled, because as the characters stomp onto the stage in full force, it isn’t long until you realise the power, talent and dedication behind this piece.
Scraping over the pledge mark of $4,000, Brother Daniel is the result of a crowdfunding project by independent Sydney production company Collaborations Theatre Group. With that in mind, they’ve done pretty damn well for themselves, with an incredibly talented cast of eight and a stage design that, although minimal, just works.
Resting on a script that’s been written, developed and refined over several years, Brother Daniel is the story of a revolutionary hero, Daniel (Adam Hatzimanolis), who is confined to a jail cell and slowly coerced (read: tortured) by his former revolutionaries to return to their side and oppose the student uprising.
In a spate of irony, fighting for his freedom is the idealistic student lawyer, Lucinda (Mel Dodge). Starry eyed over the speeches that Daniel gave during his revolutionary heyday, Lucinda is willing to pull out all stops to save her hero. But it’s not her place to make this decision. Plagued by the truth of his actions and their consequences, Daniel has chosen his fate, playing the game with full knowledge of its parameters right until his very last move.
Balancing out Daniel’s reticence and reluctance is his inmate Tony, who is played with sheer charisma and astounding energy by Vincent Andriano. A silent protagonist that holds as much sway on the stage as Daniel, Tony is instigator, antagoniser and commentator in one. He reveals a hidden intelligence in the face of his conviction as a rapist, providing the knowledge and advice required to manipulate Lucinda into acting against her morals for the sake of Daniel’s unasked-for freedom.
The poster, budget and stage might not be much, but the talent and challenges Brother Daniel proposes are more than enough to compensate for any shortcomings.
4/5.
Brother Daniel is playing at the Tap Gallery until Sunday October 5.
