Taking Liberty

‘Taking Liberty’ is a specially commissioned play, penned by Ingle Knight, to celebrate the 25^th Anniversary of the taking of the America’s Cup. This is the latest treasure from Perth Theatre Company. It is showing nightly at The Playhouse in Perth, until 4^th October.

          It is the mid 1970s and the Australian crew are being beaten regularly in all their yachting races, mainly due to poor equipment and lack of funding. Skipper, John Bertrand (Stuart Halusz) is ready to give up, when a saint from above, by the name of Alan Bond (Sean Walsh) arrives on the scene. He will fund everything ‘Money is no object’, except, that is, to his poor accountant and financial adviser, Warren Jones (Reg Cribb). Bond is introduced to shy, lonely, twitching, Ben Lexcen (Rohan Nichol) an ailing, boat designing genius.
         In the first act, we were taken through the financing and the results of the unsuccessful races, of the 70’s and early 80’s. The crew were becoming more despondent by the day, with many refusing to sail for Bond ever again. They are taken under the wing of John Cuneo (Damon Lockwood), an enthusiastic Olympic sailing champion, skilled, but who has little ability to pass on his knowledge.
        The Americans’ Commodore (Sam Longley) has decided that if they cannot succeed by racing skills, then they will prevail by having the Australian entry disqualified on a technicality.
On September 26 1983, Australia II, skippered again by John Bertrand, sees the 132 year domination of the America’s Cup by the Americans broken.

This World Premiere brings together several of WA’s funniest comedians, who in this play have proved that they are equally fine serious actors. Director Neill Gladwin has adeptly produced two plays, one of passion, team work and personal relationships, combined with another of exhilaration as you join the crew on their epic sail.

As a true landlubber, I know nothing about sailing (I know there will be weekend sailors who find fault with the way the sheets are pulled etc. – to them I say, just sit back and enjoy). Nor was I in Australia when the Cup was challenged, but however we all know Bondy and believe me, Sean WAS Bond. He conveyed with perfection Bond’s ebullient, eternally optimistic and arrogant ‘she’ll be apples’ attitude.

The first Act could have been horrendously dry and slow, due to all the facts that were revealed, however you didn’t feel for a second as though you were in a lecture. Playwright, Ingle Knight’s script was tight, interesting and had magnificent dialogue, which matched the well-known ‘locals’ who were speaking it.  There was non-stop comedy and drama, as the dialogue tacked back and forwards across the stage. The remainder of the 11 crew were represented by Benj D’Addario and Glenn Hall. Then, as the first act was finishing, a hint of the Australia II glowed through the cyc.

For the second act we join the crew on board the boat, which despite knowing the final race result, still truly gripped the audience, as it battled against those nasty foreigners.
Set designer, Shaun Gurton’s Australia II was jaw dropping, as this massive craft manoeuvred its way through the series of races to the finish line. Lighting designer, Lucy Birkinshaw, produced the natural aquatic light, as it shimmered off the water, the colour varying with the time of day. Kingsley Reeve’s sound design was his best yet, the wind, boat rattles, chinks and the flapping of the sails. You were really there - right in the middle of the craft.

It would have been a nice gesture – although possibly not theatrical etiquette – to invite Anna Dymitr Hawkes (Stage Manager) to join the cast for the final bow, as she spent the whole of the second act on stage, working amazingly as ‘Canute’ controlling the waves, and hence the boat.

This was an exciting, funny and emotional 2 hours; it is not often that one runs out of superlatives, but an astounding production with fabulous acting. Many congratulations to all concerned. A show to remember.