The Removalist ****

‘The Removalists’, David Williamson’s play, is being presented by Curtin Hayman Theatre Company at the Subiaco Arts Centre in Hamersley Road, Subiaco twice daily – 10 am and 8 pm until 24^th February.

Being on the TEE English book list, this hoary old play keeps popping up. I have seen several productions and found this performance the most convincing and powerful yet. The superb directors, Duncan Sharp and Tahni Froudist, have slightly adapted the script to make it a WA based story.

For those who still don’t know the storyline:- An ambitious but nervous, Constable Ross (Alex Littlewood) finds himself at his first posting, after training school, at a small police station in the middle of WA’s crime centre. Despite the immense amount of work that needs to be done, the self-centred and bullying Sergeant Simmonds (Daniel Gillett – last seen in the ‘Caretaker’) is looking for the easy life. Then into the station walk Kate (Sarah Fay) and her sister Fiona (Paige Marshall – ‘A man’s gotta do’, Rechabites). Fiona has just been abused and beaten by her husband (Colin Craig). The sergeant, in an unsubtle attempt to get into Kate’s knickers, hires a removalist (Alan Chambers) to move Fiona’s belongings out of the home and into a flat.

This was a gripping version of this play, which in itself reveals many nasty elements of society. All of the actors were outstanding, precisely finding their characters and giving their all. The audience audibly cringed at the attitude of the power mad husband then softened as he became the victim.

A small complaint. The use of heavy metal music, several, times, at dramatic points in the play was annoying and distracting from the plot and only really worked twice. It was almost as though explaining to the audience, ‘in case you haven’t noticed, this is the dramatic bit’.

Daniel Gillett is a talent that will be seen for a long time to come.

An outstanding show, which all year twelves should see – even just to learn what life is really about.