This is the warm, funny and achingly sad story of the 15-year-long love affair between Timothy Conigrave and the boy he fell in love with at high school, John Caleo.
Based originally on the Memoir by Conigrave and speaks to an enormous tribute to his lover, best friend, hero and life partner, John. For John are his character’s closing remarks as at its heart this tribute works like a memory play. We are ably invited into the memories and held moments of these two young men who are caught up in what was the powerful first decade wave of HIV/AIDS in Australia.
I didn’t want to see this production of Tommy Murphy‘s play initially. I was afraid to do some damage to the preexisting experience I had almost 20 years ago with the initial Griffin play’s first outing. I haven’t seen the film for the same reason.
Eamon Flack has lifted the play from those held memories so capably, I can only encourage others to be so brave. This is raw, real and yet so magically light and funny. I loved the dags and earnest hopes, ‘no wukkers’ Australianness about this play. Again, as if hearing and seeing it first hand, first time. The lift as the characters sore above the playing field.
The note in the program about “holding the man” being a footy term of the AFL was a new insight for the terms of reference, to John’s story arc; for me even stronger was the holding of each other’s stories. Holding space of the counsellors’ honour for those that are dying too young.
Throughout, it feels honest, brutally so as we glimpse the story telling now with over 30 years of the social understanding, fear, terror, and compassion of that time.
Russel Dykstra, Rebecca Massey, Shannen Alyce Quan and Guy Simon are quite remarkable as the ensemble they deftly transition into every corner of Tim and John’s lives’ humans. Be that the stern father, the variety of mothers, friends and others that unpack the harsh then gentle memories that bind these two forever.
These two. Tom Conroy’s Tim and Danny Ball as John. They are the truth in this play. Tom is at every age wonderfully real. John is Tim’s memory and Danny brings sincerity and depth to the role. All else is whimsy and fantastic and memory caricatures at times. There lies for the audience the softening of the harsh edges of a deeply sad story. The identities of the other’s create a raucous cacophony of reminders of a time and space and place for our reference as much as for Tim’s perspective. Nonetheless these frames of reference give us a more powerful belief in the wholeness of the love story.
A simple set of 70’s sofas, bean bags and plastic chairs with mirror balls aloft, disarmingly simple so simple yet dispense so much. Bravo designer Stehen Curtis for the authentic invitation into the space. Clever costume by Mel Page at times quirkily transports the ensemble cleverly and creatively and wigs a winner.
The memory element is softer now that AIDs is no longer the death sentence of the 90s, nor is it the effective alienation of family and community. The truth and the honesty of both Tim and John’s family responses, affect a world where the heart is in the relationships and one particular relationship.
This play is not political, nor social justice, nor provocation. At its heart it is what it is. A most magnificent and beautiful love story.
HOLDING THE MAN By Tommy Murphy
Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Mar 9 – Apr 14, 2024
Playwright – Tommy Murphy
Original Author – Timothy Conigrave
Director – Eamon Flack
Set design – Stephen Curtis
Costume Design – Mel Page
Lighting design – Phoebe Pilcher
Composer & Sound design – Alyx dennison
Assistant Director – James Elazzi
Fight/ Movement Director – Nigel Poulton
Vocal & Accent Coach – Laura Farrell
Stage Manager – Luke McGettigan
Assistant Stage manager – Mia Kanzaki
CAST – Danny ball, Tom Conroy, Russell Dykstra, Rebecca Massey, Guy Simon, Shannen Alyce Quan
Images by Brett Boardman