★★
We need to talk about Australian men. It’s a conversation we’ve undoubtedly been avoiding, and one at the foundation of Patricia Cornelius’ Savages. But with its predisposition towards well-trodden masculine archetypes and lack of narrative catharsis, this is not the play for such a vital discussion.
Four blue-collar blokes set out on the trip of a lifetime, determined to leave their worries in life behind as they board a luxurious cruise ship. As the holiday proves unfulfilling, their frustrations mount and begin to give way to more animal instincts.
While Cornelius certainly has an excellent grip on language, there’s something to the sing-songy nature of her rhyming prose that puts the whole show on tilt. Sure, there are some powerfully uncomfortable phrases, but they are undercut when overemphasised.
The potential in Jeremy Allen’s Griffin-esque set design is underused by the cast, who are all too light on their feet as they trip merrily up and down the slanted surfaces of the ship’s deck. The actors move from mark to mark with little purpose except to let loose a few more cheers or wolf howls, the play’s most unpleasant signifier of their descent into savagery.
Every time one of the actors is given an empathetic moment – Runt’s backlash after constantly being the butt of everyone’s jokes; Rabbit’s frank talk about his sexuality – the moment is robbed of lasting affect by the tacked-on growls, grunts and howls of animals. It’s a cheap trick all too present from beginning to end, with no real journey for the characters save their inevitable bad behaviour.
Perhaps most disappointing is the sudden ending, which implies a truly shocking event but leaves the audience with few genuinely provocative questions. Bereft of the comforts of masculine superiority, they turn to an act of violence that the truncation of the play robs of consequence.
Savages has every reason to be shown on Sydney stages – its themes could hardly be more relevant. That’s why it’s so frustrating to see such a fundamental topic oversimplified. Its motivated design is laudable, but in almost every other category, its bark tries to hide its absence of bite.
Photo: Helen White
Savagesis playing at Eternity Playhouse until Sunday May 1
