Urban Theatre Projects have chosen a painful, raw subject for their current production, ‘The Fence’, conceived and directed by Alicia Talbot. ‘The Fence’ is based on people who have spent their childhoods removed from their families, either being identified part of the Stolen Generation or as part of the Forgotten Australians, whose childhoods were spent in institutional care. The characters, now middle-aged and trying to make the most of their lives, are still strongly affected by the lack of belonging that they have felt from an early age.

The events of the play take place over one night in the home of Mel (Kelton Pell) and Joy (Skye Quill). The evening starts off as an average sort of night. Joy is making dinner, Mel is watching television. Their house, as usual, is a bit of a drop-in centre. One of their friends Lou (Helen Dallas) is staying with them at the moment as she recovers from another man leaving her with a broken heart. Another friend Chris (Richard Green) is over, as he often is, because he needs time away from the three women he shares house with. The evening changes course when Mel’s older sister Connie (Vicki Van Hout), who hasn’t been around for a long time, comes to the door, expecting to stay. Mel is welcoming, sort of, but Joy isn’t pleased; Connie can be a troublemaker.

Conceptually, ‘The Fence’ was a strong piece. The show is presented as an outdoor theatre event with plenty of atmosphere. The staging primarily featured a demountable home and shed with a spectator stand-set up for the audience. The audience was greeted, in true Koori tradition, with a log fire burning in front of Mel and Joy’s home. The venue had plenty of resonance for the cast; the grounds on which the actors performed were part of a girls’ orphanage that originally stood there. There was a good use of classic popular music numbers, such as Kris Kristofferson’s ‘Help Me Make It Through The Night’, to reflect the action.

Still, for a piece with such a strong theme, I expected more dramatically. The storyline lacked dramatic fire. Issues were raised, such as Mel borrowing money from his big sister that just seemed to disappear into the ether. The performances didn’t feel sharp.

‘The Fence’ plays 24 O’Connell Street, Parramatta, a short walk from the Parramatta Riverside Theatre, until the 30th January. Theatregoers pick up their tickets from the Parramatta Riverside Theatre and take a short walk across to the venue.