Australian playwright Katie Pollock’s play ‘A Quiet Night In Rangoon’ takes us into the world of an Australian journalist reporting on an attempted uprising against a military regime. Pollock’s play covers similar territory to two classic Australian films, Peter Weir’s ‘The Year Of Living Dangerously'(1982) and Robert Connolly’s ‘Balibio'(2009), with the protoganist being an Aussie journalist caught overseas in grave civil unrest.

The time is 2007, the setting is Rangoon, Burma and Burmese monks were leading the revolt against the Burmese military regime in what was coined the Saffron Revolution. This was a fascinating period in Burmese history as the monks were previously considered untouchable by every section of society. There was wide held belief that, with the monks at the helm, the Burmese people would finally overthrow the military dictatorship that had been incumbent in power for so long and that democracy would be achieved. The military had other plans, and displayed their trademark brutality.

Pollock’s writing is sharp, and she makes some interesting and poetic narrative choices. The most interesting of these is her decision to create two non-naturalistic characters. Shauntelle Benjamin plays Rangoon’s Inya Lake, a notorious, haunted lake in which the bodies of many dead protestors were thrown in. Sonya Kerr plays the internet, a vital role as this is the source of locals communicating what they’re going through to the world at large.

Kathryn Schuback plays journalist Piper whose character has the largest trajectory, from a young reporter just wanting to file a few travel stories of her experiences in Thailand to one whose life becomes totally ensconsed in Burma’s political turmoil.

Aileen Huynh plays an impassioned 16 year old local waitress Kitty who befriends Piper and persuades her to become involved in reporting Rangoon’s troubled story to the world. Felino Dolloso gives a strong performance as the Major, a hard as nails man, who nevertheless finds himself conflicted over the military’s uncompromising stance against the monks.

Paul Gilchrist’s production, augmented by an impressive set design by Chloe Lawrence-Hartcher, opened at the New Theatre, 542 King Street, Newtown on Thursday 18th August and plays until Saturday 10th Sdeptember, 2011. Bookings 1300306776.

(c)David Kary

27th August, 2011