The Distance from Here
Wed, 6 Oct 2010, 08:55 amGordon the Optom3 posts in thread
The Distance from Here
Wed, 6 Oct 2010, 08:55 am‘The Distance from Here’ was written in 1998 by Detroit playwright, Neil LaBute and is partially autobiographical. The grittiness of LaBute’s works, such as the ‘Wicker Man’ and ‘The Shape of Things’, upset many of his Latter Day Saints colleagues. This play is a study of youth and the raw deal that they get from life. It is showing at the Hayman Theatre, Building 102 (free car park 29) Curtin University, Bentley until Saturday the 9th October. Performances commence at 8.00 pm.
After losing his war-hero father, his idol, confused sixteen-year-old Darrell (Alex Brittan) spends most of his time with his best friend Tim (Michael Collins) another neglected, abused, unloved youngster. Rather than go ‘home’, to a total slum and be in the company of his rat bag mother, Cammie (Sam Daniels) who as taken in a five year younger boyfriend. Her new partner, Rich (Chris Hall) a Gulf War veteran has turned into a total waster with lecherous intentions. For Darrell and Tim, the dirty streets are their preferred home. This is not the America that is pushed to the World.
The play opens with the two boys in the zoo staring at the monkeys. On seeing their captivity, Darrell recognises his own, trapped soul and becomes aggressive. Realising that life is not giving them their fair share the boys are frustrated and angry but without the power do anything about it. They have been drained of any vivacity or life expectancy. Tim is more accepting of his pathetic situation, but, with a fear of losing his only friend, Tim decides to support Darrell in doing something about it.
Darrell’s insecurity even extends to his love for Jenn (Louise Cocks), being unable to show his emotion or trust her.
When Darrell returns home, his jealousy of his Mum’s boyfriend getting all of her attention is too much, and leads to violence. Then there is his twenty-one-year-old dishevelled stepsister Sheri (Michelle Snedden) and her unwanted, mistreated infant son who cries incessantly. Sheri will try anything to get out of the hole that she is in, and better her life – anything with anyone! It is not surprising that Darrell has become the pent-up youth that he is in such a dysfunctional home, which is sexually charged and painfully claustrophobic.
Jenn wants a dog for her birthday, so Darrell goes to the local pet shop. He meets a couple of street friends (Kat Long and Andre Lissiman) the girl, even with her boyfriend standing there, blatantly tries her best to score with Darrell.
In the pet shop Darrell learns from the owner, a guy from the deep south (Jordan Nix), of an event that will change his whole life.
Director Renato Fabretti whose team achieved major acclaim and awards two years ago with his Blue Room production of ‘Motortown’, has again produced a gritty, rough look at life. He has taken a relatively inexperienced set of actors and honed them into fine performers. The 110-minute play went faultlessly, the whole cast captured the mood and the aggression; you could see the depth of the feeling in the cast’s faces. The violence was convincing. The swings of temperament disturbing. Total empathy and interaction between the players, great delivery and pace. They were all excellent, but I would like to give an extra mention of Alex Brittan who was so totally focused.
The lighting design by Duncan Sharp, and operated smoothly by Brittany Young, was tricky and above average. The sound design by Charles Wu exceptionally good, especially a finely conceived special effect later in the play. Poor stage manager Kirsty Marillier will have her work cut out clearing up.
If you enjoyed ‘Motortown’, and you get pleasure from the intense writing and superb dialogue of Neil LaBute, then you will love this excellent, gruesome adult production, depicting teenage isolation and despair,
After losing his war-hero father, his idol, confused sixteen-year-old Darrell (Alex Brittan) spends most of his time with his best friend Tim (Michael Collins) another neglected, abused, unloved youngster. Rather than go ‘home’, to a total slum and be in the company of his rat bag mother, Cammie (Sam Daniels) who as taken in a five year younger boyfriend. Her new partner, Rich (Chris Hall) a Gulf War veteran has turned into a total waster with lecherous intentions. For Darrell and Tim, the dirty streets are their preferred home. This is not the America that is pushed to the World.
The play opens with the two boys in the zoo staring at the monkeys. On seeing their captivity, Darrell recognises his own, trapped soul and becomes aggressive. Realising that life is not giving them their fair share the boys are frustrated and angry but without the power do anything about it. They have been drained of any vivacity or life expectancy. Tim is more accepting of his pathetic situation, but, with a fear of losing his only friend, Tim decides to support Darrell in doing something about it.
Darrell’s insecurity even extends to his love for Jenn (Louise Cocks), being unable to show his emotion or trust her.
When Darrell returns home, his jealousy of his Mum’s boyfriend getting all of her attention is too much, and leads to violence. Then there is his twenty-one-year-old dishevelled stepsister Sheri (Michelle Snedden) and her unwanted, mistreated infant son who cries incessantly. Sheri will try anything to get out of the hole that she is in, and better her life – anything with anyone! It is not surprising that Darrell has become the pent-up youth that he is in such a dysfunctional home, which is sexually charged and painfully claustrophobic.
Jenn wants a dog for her birthday, so Darrell goes to the local pet shop. He meets a couple of street friends (Kat Long and Andre Lissiman) the girl, even with her boyfriend standing there, blatantly tries her best to score with Darrell.
In the pet shop Darrell learns from the owner, a guy from the deep south (Jordan Nix), of an event that will change his whole life.
Director Renato Fabretti whose team achieved major acclaim and awards two years ago with his Blue Room production of ‘Motortown’, has again produced a gritty, rough look at life. He has taken a relatively inexperienced set of actors and honed them into fine performers. The 110-minute play went faultlessly, the whole cast captured the mood and the aggression; you could see the depth of the feeling in the cast’s faces. The violence was convincing. The swings of temperament disturbing. Total empathy and interaction between the players, great delivery and pace. They were all excellent, but I would like to give an extra mention of Alex Brittan who was so totally focused.
The lighting design by Duncan Sharp, and operated smoothly by Brittany Young, was tricky and above average. The sound design by Charles Wu exceptionally good, especially a finely conceived special effect later in the play. Poor stage manager Kirsty Marillier will have her work cut out clearing up.
If you enjoyed ‘Motortown’, and you get pleasure from the intense writing and superb dialogue of Neil LaBute, then you will love this excellent, gruesome adult production, depicting teenage isolation and despair,