This is a bold show, incorporating sustained, complex, lyrical passages of poetic writing and language from the original story. It is also busy on stage as the accomplished cast of six take on masses of dialogue and multiple characters, using voice and physicality to move between roles as chorus and storytellers.
These multi-roles serve to highlight moments or insights from things left unsaid, although the passages that were strongest for me and which drove the narrative most successfully were when there was more showing not telling.
This was particularly effective during the direct dialogue between characters. There was strong connection between Ruby (Moya van Kooten) and Damon (Liam Hinton) as they grappled with friendship change and the complexity of their feelings, and also between Madeline (Ruby Brett) and Ruth (Georgia Pollock) as young step-siblings at play and war.
Christian Starr was natural and accomplished in multiple roles as cashier, mechanic and in chorus scenes, and brought an easy charm to the stage.
Eckard Becker as Jeremy showed vulnerability, exploring darker themes but also contrasting these skilfully as a tutu-wearing narrator. Some of their scenes together were excellent, revealing moments of humour and pathos.
Over time, more is revealed about the relationships between the siblings, and step-siblings although I found this somewhat confusing initially as the actors shifted rapidly between newly introduced characters and third-person commentary. Some of the delivery was also very fast at the start.
The set and lighting designs by Oliver Stewart are creative and flexible and use striking light poles to create spaces and moments. I especially liked the bridge and the stream, which were cohesive and aligned with moments of direct dialogue and character insight.
I also enjoyed the way the cast moved between scenes and roles naturally, incorporating props, costume and set changes, supported by their (on)stagehands, Bailey Harris and Michael Kerei.
Slaughter's work doesn't shy away from emotion and her writing is visceral as she goes deeply into her characters. Taylor and Hinton are clearly fans and wish to preserve as much of her "beautiful, dirt-frosted text" as they can.
The challenge in adapting a complex work for theatre audiences is establishing and maintaining a narrative thread in the face of such rich language and character arcs and I'd have liked more focus on dialogue and less on third-person narrative.
I was impressed by the energetic young cast, who have collaborated well to bring this work to the stage with vigour, skill and focus. It is innovative and interesting theatre, and credit must go to Mayhem and One Question Theatre for developing it.
