I love a pre-show gimmick and Bully Beef Stew, PACT’s first professional commission, has a good one. Upon collecting your tickets from PACT’s friendly box office staff, you are presented with a “race card” which entitles you to a 50% discount off your criticism at any Indigenous production. This witty self-awareness sets you up perfectly for a show that is determined to both wrestle with stereotypes and break them down.
Law, Colin Kinchela and Bjorn Stewart under the directorial eye of Melbourne import Andrew James, the Stew is a collection of images and reflections on what it means to be an Aboriginal male in the 21st century.
The early stages of the play keep the performers’ tongues well and truly in their cheeks, following in the same vein as the race card. Whether it’s dancing to a pumping beat, or doing and Old Spice ad parody about the perfect Aboriginal man, the mood is kept light and it feels like we’re in for a night of fun and games. However, this soon breaks and reality starkly enters with personal stories of absent fathers and role models lost too young.
The three very different performers bring their various strengths to the show: Dallas Law is born to perform, and laps up every moment of audience interaction; Kinchela is stunningly real and his storytelling is beautiful; and Stewart‘s striking physical presence and comedic timing are a complete standout.
The show is beautifully underscored by Melissa Hunt‘s sound design, which adds poise to every moment, and Clytie Smith‘s lighting design is perfectly measured throughout.
the show feels disjointed at times, with some of the stories and images not quite flowing together easily, but the sense of three young men grappling with complexities of their identity is tangible and it all comes together in one of the most beautiful endings to a show you will ever see.
