Birdboy

‘Birdboy’ is a stunning World Premiere presented by ‘The Blue Room Theatre Summer Nights’ and ‘The Wet Weather Ensemble’ in association with PICA. The rich and complex script was developed a year ago, in association with New York’s The Watermill Centre Residency Programme for WA Playwrights’ Development Initiative and Stages WA.

About 5 years ago Deckchair Theatre presented Hilary Bell’s ‘Memmie Le Blanc’ based on the true 18^th Century tale of a feral 9-year-old girl, found naked in a French forest. Similarly, a seven-year-old 'Bird-boy' was very recently found in Volgograd in Russia, his story has been used as the basis and theme for this theatrical masterpiece.

This 70-minute play is being presented at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts main performance space, 53 James Street, Northbridge. Performances run until 16^th February, with all shows at 9.30 pm.

The scene is an inner city skyscraper flat in the city of Avian. The stage periphery has massive piles of milk crates representing the high-rise buildings and rope for the numerous telephone wires interlinking them. In the centre of the stage is an old folding bed with a decaying foam mattress. An impressive scenography by Rohan Harnett.

       It is early in the morning and it is still dark outside. A young woman, Angie (Alicia Osyka) knocks on the door of her neighbour’s house. There is no reply and so she turns the door handle and gingerly enters. 

      Angie shouts ‘Are you there? I haven’t seen you for some time so I thought I would check on you’. As she enters holding a small torch, she is attacked by numerous birds, pecking and flapping around her (excellent puppetry by Moana Lutton, with animation advised by Ian Sinclair).

       Angela staggers through the stinking mess, only to find the body of the woman (Ian Sinclair) lying on the floor. As she pans the torch around another flock of screeching birds seem to appear from nowhere. Then she notices a strange chirping and tweeting noise coming from a colossal cage in the corner. In it is a fully grown young man (St. John Cowcher) dressed as a bird. He has no name; if he did he could be ‘owned and controlled’.

       What is Angie to do? Her initial maternal instincts stop her from phoning the authorities who will simply lock him up.

       With a blend of flashback and present day, the full story is revealed. Or is it? Listen to the lyrics of the songs and you may wonder otherwise.

Director Moya Thomas has given us a really special play - a study of lost loves - with so many genres. As well as the drama, tragedy and puppetry, there is music, romance and even choreography (Tarryn Gill). With the aid of dramaturge Sarah McKellar, Moya has produced stunning performances and memorable scenes. The use of the props, especially the ‘mirror’, is breathtaking.

Many of the sound effects were produced vocally by Moana Lutton, but there was also a wonderful soundscape from Will Slade. The creepy lighting and effects produced by Karen Cook confirmed the mood of this presentation. The stage manager, Izzy McDonald, will probably get home an hour after the rest of the team each night!

I don’t think that the hard working publicist, Gemma Sidney, will need to do much more now that the ‘word is out’. A play like this can be a gamble for the producer, but Sophie Fosdick-McGrath had faith in the team and they have done her proud. This is a DO NOT MISS play.