With TRUCK STOP, Lachlan Philpott has written a funny, complex and confrontational play. It is skilfully directed by Katrina Douglas, bringing Sean Bacon’s video and the actors’ performances together to draw the audience in.
The story is centred around three teenage girls in Sydney’s western suburbs. We learn a lot about their varyingly dysfunctional families, their obsessions with popular music, film and music videos, fashion, schoolyard bitchiness, teenage mating rituals & their relationships with adults. Raunch culture is a significant component of their environment and is a major contributor to their progression into dabbling in lunchtime prostitution.
Two of the girls Sam, played by Eryn Jean Norvill, and Kelly, played by Jessica Tovey, were best friends prior to the climactic event on which the story is based. For most of the play they still are best friends, as much of the story is told in flashback. The flashbacks are cleverly managed by an actor calling out “then” or “now” along with Chris Page’s adept lighting.
Sam and Kelly are joined by Aisha, played by Kristy Best, whose family has recently arrived from Bangalore, and introduce her to the local culture. This brings conflict with Aisha’s conservative background and at the same time Aisha is going through a normal teenage rebellion. The interweaving of all these strands is all very entertaining, well paced and structured.
Elena Carapetis plays a breathtaking range of adult characters, doctor, counsellor, Indian mother and schoolteacher, as well as a teenage Polynesian boy love interest. The accurate & varied portrayals are a tribute to her skill.
From the opening scene the dialogue is rich and engaging. Lachlan Philpott has captured the vernacular and all actors deliver with disturbing accuracy. Elena Carapetis’ counsellor is extremely funny. She has captured the tone and nuance with great incisiveness.
Popular teenage girl dance and music is used to add atmosphere and help drive the story. A little highlight is a very amusing snippet of radio’s Love Song Dedications, but there is also a very poignant use of the same program.
For much of the play there is video projected onto the rear wall which genuinely adds to the atmosphere. Some of the scenes projected are posters and paraphernalia of a teenage girl’s bedroom, an expressway flyover and the roadside truck stop.
I highly recommend this play. Truck Stop has just been selected as a finalist in the 2012 San Francisco Bay Area Play Festival.
Truck Stop opened at the Q Theatre: 22nd May and runs until 2nd June and then moves to the Seymour Centre from 6th – 23rd June, 2012.
© Mark Pigott
24th May, 2012
Sydney Theatre Reviews- TRUCK STOP, Lachlan Philpott, Amanda James, Sydney Arts Guide, Mark Pigott.