The Ark
Written & directed by Thomas Liddle
Presented by Raucous Behaviour
Carclew
★★★★1/2
Review by That Guy in The Foyer, John Doherty
March 15 7 pm
March 16 2:00 pm & 7 pm
Sold Out!
The Adelaide Fringe Fund has made an excellent decision in supporting the development of this exciting new Black Comedy by emerging writer/ director Thomas Liddle.
Raucous Behaviour’s ensemble provides the perfect vehicle through which to explore this refreshing Black Comedy set in Australia.
Somewhat incongruously staged in Carclew’s Dame Ruby Litchfield Ballroom, a room in which many creative pursuits have occurred since 1973, The Ark takes us to a very dark place indeed! A climate change induced apocalyptic snowstorm across Australia’s Southern States wreaks havoc on, well, everything! We enter the ballroom to find it has been partitioned into a small space, one quite dark and grim, in which old style Drama blocks have been employed to create tiers for approximately fifty white plastic chairs on each side of a small performance space. A sparse set taking advantage of a fireplace, in which a bucket penned with the word “Library” is set, and featuring nothing but some cardboard boxes, sets the scene. A young man, Noah, (Gianluca Noble) sits on the floor, a deck of cards before him, sleeping bag laid out close by, desultorily playing Patience while the storm rages outside. Exuding an air of hopelessness, he pulls himself into the sleeping back and retires for the night. Two women, Eunice (Catherine Carter) a strong matriarchal figure, and a considerably younger woman, Eve (Maya Carey) in her twenties, who have stumbled across the library enter. Eve trips on the slumbering man who springs up defensively. It’s Noah’s turf and his wish to keep it that way is clear. However, Eunice and her granddaughter are climate change refugees who wish to pool resources. There’s a standoff, some negotiations through which a tense understanding is reached, and an uneasy agreement is made. Central to the narrative is Emma’s love for her grandmother whose increasingly unpredictable behaviour is becoming a sad liability. And it is clear Eunice is devoted to her granddaughter. Emma, a single mother whose wife has recently left her, arrives with her baby, and finds sanctuary.
It emerges that Eunice is succumbing to a health issue which many of us with older parents or grandparents are all too familiar, and the stage is well and truly set for seventy minutes of thought provoking, darkly funny, gripping immersive theatre. Liddle’s script cleverly captures the complexity of four strangers muddling their way through survival, and the Raucous Behaviour ensemble delivers a strong performance. Catherine Carter’s return to the stage after a long hiatus is superb with her rich, nuanced portrayal of Eunice and Maya Carey plays opposite her with aplomb. Gianluca Noble mines the complexities of a young man, an accountant, thrown along with the rest of the world into a catastrophe skilfully, while Caitlin Hendrey as Emma gives an equally rich performance. It’s very a minor thing but there are a few awkward phrases in the dialogue. However, this matters little as Thomas Liddle’s finely crafted script evokes humour and gravitas in equal measure. With only two performances remaining of The Ark’s brief season, you’d need to be quick! But it’s sold out!
Still, if you can…Go! See it!
#AdelaideFringe