Bone Dry

‘Bone Dry … when love is thicker than water’ is written by multi-award winner, Hellie Turner. The play is presented by kompany M at Taylor’s Art and Coffee House, 510 Great Northern Highway, Middle Swan (immediately next door to Waldecks). The performances are at 8.00 pm nightly until the 16^th December, with the Sunday shows at 6.00 pm.

            It is dawn in the mid-west during yet another crippling drought, and about to start another fruitless day is Pete (Steve Turner). A farmer exhausted from the recurring nightmare and in denial of his situation. His son, Wayne (Jake Lyall), hates the farm and certainly does not want to inherit it, nor the unyielding life that goes with it. Sally (Sarah Borg), Pete’s daughter, has red dust for blood corpuscles and would happily run the station someday. Is she capable? After all, the woman’s place on a farm is solely to enter CWA cooking competitions.
         Vera (Leanne Page) laments the life she was committed to on becoming Pete’s bride.  There have been good times and harsh times, but now she is lonely with a dwindling bond between herself and her husband.
         On the next property, widower Kev (Peter Holland) and his son, Trev (Quintin George), work as a team. Giving each other much needed support. A water diviner scours the landscape, in search of water, but the dowsing rod remains lifeless. Will the visit of the Government Minister (Luke Hewitt) bring the much needed aid and peace of mind?
        Is there any hope for the families? Or will they just give up?

One of kompany M’s recent major productions, ‘Road Train’, was nominated in several categories for Equity awards. This show is even better. Writer - Director Hellie Turner has skilfully brought to life her beautifully constructed script. With several strong themes and storylines blended together, she displays all the austerity and struggle of life on an Australian property. The heartbreak, the loneliness, coupled with the destitution, bravely coped with by the unique larrikin attitude of the Aussie farmers.
Moo, Baa and Oink, the local livestock, provide a chorus of black comedy and poignant comment.
With kompnay M one always gets the FULL package. A great story with the very best of acting, humour (lots of it), tragedy, amazing sets and lighting - but most of all, a dialogue straight from the country, with characterisation that clearly separates the personalities.
The appropriate live music by violinist Rachael Aquilina, added a real depth to the tale of deftly woven pathos and comedy.

The rustic venue has a 25-metre long stage with several themes for sets. The audience has a 200-degree view of the boards, so are seated in the thick of this unrelenting country. Chris Heald’s lighting and sound work was well above average. Last time I mentioned ‘the sounds of nature’ in a review, it was badly misinterpreted. The sounds of the countryside and the weather were amazing.

100 minutes of quality entertainment ending with the ‘Wow’ factor.

A hint:  If you are using a Tom-Tom GPS to get there, do not get confused with another number 510 that appears to be 50 kms further north. Type in 1George Road instead.