The Americas, A Theatre Company is an American led theatre company, based in Australia, formed by artistic director Kai Paynter in 2023. Her vision to, “bring authentic American stories to life in Australia” and this Australian premire of Neil Labute’s 2016 play certainly hits the spot.
You’ll be excused if you have not been to the Living Room Theatre, it is in the old Bustle Studios just off Elizabeth Street, an interesting immersive space, with a warmth and sense of community that was inviting. On arrival I actually did feel like I was in someone’s living room, but upon closer examination the clever symbolic elements began to appear. The four ring binder, the forbidden fruit, yes, a shiny red apple for ‘the teacher’, a clever double entendre of the original temptress Eve and, a fine American flag the ultimate symbol of freedom and rights. Which made me wonder, whose freedoms and whose rights were violated? After all, as a grade 12 teacher and counsellor Mrs Jackson was harmless enough, right?
The warmth and richness of the powerful guitar and vocals of Arvine Arcil, set up both Tommy’s essence and the entire trap – but if you miss it, you’ll realise at the end, that the song’s choices were no accident. At first, I had no idea why, until I couldn’t unthink it. His mere presence set the audience up for what must be the most twisted of all Labute’s earlier works.
Watching the show twice, side by side, was an exercise in theatre magic. The same script, same setting, same director, but different actresses, made me wonder how each actress would bring their own flair and nuance to the performance. After all, a solo show that runs without an interval for 70 minutes is no small thing. Kia Paynter’s direction was interesting, with some unexpected twists in the intimate space, but I wanted her to push it further. The whole notion of Labute’s black comedy, underhandedly makes us uncomfortable, forces us to react to what is shocking, so why not? Certainly, the proximity of the staging made us feel like we were part of the action, forcing us to realise uncomfortable truths, especially with such bright non-theatrical lighting.
Grace Ho, effortlessly captured the emotional realism of the character, making you think you were watching a friend or colleague divulging their deepest secrets, bringing an interesting flip on the cultural aspect of the character. Ho, emphasising for us, what exactly was the quantifiable weight of a lie? Her take on Mrs Jackson was fresh and her idiosyncratic actions allowed us to see beyond the tired school teacher who was, it seemed, tired of holding in all these truths.
Version two, on the other hand, Paige Walker, as Mrs Jackson, created a confronting depiction with palpable pounds of guts and gravitas. Her emotional engagement with this role was unflinching, tears welling from the first strain of Arcill’s chilling, When I was your man, to the last of the biting lyrics of Heartbreak Anniversary. Walker’s manipulation of proxemics and timing, albeit the same direction, brought something else, something raw, something really uncomfortable. The weight of that lie is reinforced by Walker’s depiction making the character thoroughly unlikable, bravo.
In the depths of the human experience, a primal desire burns within us all just to be loved, to be wanted, to be valued. It’s a fundamental yearning that transcends borders, backgrounds, and boundaries. As ordinary people, we navigate the complexities of life in plain sight, while keeping secrets hidden from the world. We, as women, as men, as couples, as individuals, grapple with the intricacies of relationships, love, and desire. And yet, it’s precisely these secrets that have a habit of resurfacing at the most inopportune moments, revealing the darker, more primal aspects of our nature that we often keep hidden. Even in the most seemingly ordinary lives, a creeping darkness can ensnare us, exposing the raw, unbridled emotions that lie beneath the surface. Neil Labute’s work lays bare the messy, beautiful, and disturbing complexities of human connection, revealing that, no matter how hard we try to conceal them, our deepest desires and secrets will always find a way to emerge. A very worthy offering from this emerging theatre company and one that is well worth weighing up.
August 19–24
The Living Room, 457 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills
