The Damned

‘The Damned’ has its World Premiere being presented by the Black Swan State Theatre Company at the Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA, Roe Street, Northbridge. Dramatist Reg Cribb has twice won the Patrick White Playwrights’ Award and the W.A Premier’s Literary Award; he has also won the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award. The 2 hrs 20 min (incl. Interval) performances are nightly at 7.30 pm, until 30^th October.

Writer, Reg Cribb learnt of two separate murders, both committed by young girls in WA towns within a very short period. With this horrifying inspiration, and fascinated by the stories behind the girls, he invented a rural town and created a completely different set of circumstances. This is not a documentary of the original murders.

 

           The stage is filled by an advertising hoarding, with a rusty metal gantry along the front. It is your welcome to the town of Rainbow. As usual, the school kids of Rainbow, a mid west town, wake up to music blaring from their radios. Most listen to Triple J, and they learn of an exciting competition that has started. The youngsters have to write into the station and say why their town is different and what it is famous for. The basis can be for any reason whatsoever.
          Dressed in an old tatty jumper, teenager Kylie (Sage Douglas) has become quiet and withdrawn since her mother died in a car accident. Her brother survived, but her grief-stricken father (Greg McNeill) seems to spend most of his time in the local pub. Desperate to have a good friend and someone to love her, she seeks out the Natasha (Amanda Woodhams), the school delinquent. Natasha is highly intelligent, but is also from a disrupted home. Unlike Kylie, Natasha has a great deal of anger and jealousy built up inside her, and a massive attitude problem. She is tackling life head-on and pity help anyone in the way.
         One day Kylie wanders into the local tea and cake shop, only to be greeted by the born-again, evangelistic owner, Jenny (Polly Low) and her virtuous son (Wade Briggs). They mellifluously pour their sympathies onto Kylie.
         Very soon, an elegant new girl turns up at the High School, she is Melody (Claire Lovering) who has moved up from ‘that shit hole’ Albany to get away from her alcoholic mother. Despite warnings from half the village, Melody is keen to live in the decaying, weatherboard house that the other two girls inhabit. However there is something about this ever smiling, slightly haughty girl that doesn’t quite click with her new friends. Natasha is very suspicious and jealous of Melody’s friendship with Kylie.

 

 

Alicia Clements set is unique. Vast and impressive, the hoarding is practically the only piece of scenery. The action moves rapidly around several locations, and yet with Joseph Mercurio’s superb lighting and Mia Holton’s breathtaking and beautifully shot audio visuals, the setting and mood is instantly achieved. Alicia was also responsible for the wide variety of quality costumes, from punk to designer label.
Cribb’s script and dialogue – enhanced by the vocal coaching of Luzita Fereday - is well tuned in to the youth of today. His characters are real and frightening. There is no blood and gore but you feel a genuine chill as these girls go about their daily routine. Director Andrew Lewis, with his seconded assistant director Tanya Mitford, has wisely used subtlety in this fast paced play which combined with a creepy, rumbling sound design from James Luscombe that keeps the pulse pounding.
With a serious bashing only yesterday, of an man in his late eighties, one can only become more outraged and disturbed when, on seeing this wonderful play, one learns how easily the emotions change and fragile situations arise.
An amazing but worrying look at the youth of today.