VARIOUS CHARACTERS sensitively portrays a desire for connection and belonging while navigating familiar second and third generation migrant experiences. Set in Western Sydney setting during the early years of this millennium, it raises issues relevant to our society today while resisting the urge to offer straightforward insights or answers.
Presented by Plus Minus Productions in association with Virginia Plain, the play is written by Šime Knežević who shows great talent in writing complex, relatable characters and we are immediately engrossed by the personal circumstances of their intersecting lives. The writing is complemented by Victor Kalka’s deft direction, where understated set design, sound and lighting elements ensures that the focus remains on the fallibilities of the characters presented.
Key contextual notes offer humorous moments of nostalgia as four adolescent friends seek their own paths forward despite their complicated lives. Their coming-of-age stories resist some traditional tropes and along with unexpected turns and unresolved moments, the audience is left to ponder a range of different perspectives that on this evening, led to many robust conversations in the foyer at the end of the performance. The power of the storytelling is enhanced by the skill of the ensemble cast, who offer poignantly offset tensions and unresolved conflicts with humour connecting with the audience in this tight performance.
Nina, played by Georgia Da Silva is mesmerising as she plays a grief-stricken teenager struggling to find a connection with others in the face of her mother’s death. The unresolved trauma that Nina experiences runs deep, and Da Silva’s approach to this multilayered character provides pathos that will resonate with audiences long after the 80-minute play concludes.
The ambitions of Zita, played by Nashy MZ compete against the restrictions imposed upon her by her parents as she seeks to become her own person, resisting the expectations imposed on her by others. The talents of Maliyan Blair, who plays romantic at heart Boris were a surprise and the charisma he brought to the role added charm and optimism.
Through the portrayal of Mile and his mother Greta, writer Šime Knežević draws on his own Croatian heritage and experiences to explore how second and third generation migrants define their own identities as they navigate processes of assimilation to forge a path towards happiness. Greta seeks to forge a new path for herself by connecting and sharing her culture through her desire to sell Croatian cultural dished at a market stall. Played by Kate Bookallil, Greta’s strength and fragility is on full display as she meets with resistance in pursuit of her dreams,
An underbelly of unresolved issues are revealed through Raoul (played by Tony Goh) as he struggle to communicate with others, offering both moments of tension and clarity. His reflections on the challenges of assimilation, pitting what he was told to think about migrants against the realisation that animosities of the past largely unwarranted. Reflecting on society’s treatment of migrants in the past, it removes the nostalgic veil to remind audiences of the mistreatment faced by migrants who were viewed with suspicion in years gone by. This gives the audience a moment to contemplate current attitudes towards migrants, as we ponder how much has changed since last century.
VARIOUS CHARACTERS is being performed from 7-17 May at the Flight Path Theatre. 142 Addison Road Marrickville
