Norm and Ahmed
Review by That Guy In The Foyer, John Doherty
★★★★★
Adelaide Fringe. The Bakehouse.
Until March 19, 2022
Alex Buzo’s Norm and Ahmed premiered in at the Old Tote in Sydney under the direction of Jim Sharman in 1968 and was immediately controversial. During its 1969 season in Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s fiefdom, Queensland, actor Norman Staines, who played Norm, was charged with using obscene language in public; he was simply saying his lines.
Norm’s entrance into the Bakehouse Studios black box sees him arrive at 1960s bus stop, nicely established by designer Tammy Boden, late at night. Norm is dressed in respectable white collared shirt and dark slacks, an innocuous enough ensemble, also designed by Boden. But there’s something about Norm (Brendan Cooney) that is unsettling from the get -go; repressed anger seems to ooze from his pores. Enter Ahmed, (Ceejay Singh), intent on heading somewhere, resplendent in light grey kurta pyjamas, only to be abruptly pulled up by Norms’ “Got a light?” Ahmed is immediately apprehensive- and who wouldn’t be? Cooney’s Norm is like a friendly Staffy, one with a playful glint in its eye, a hint of malice embedded somewhere in there. Norm is quick to reassure the young Pakistani Arts student, and takes an interest in his experience of Australia, his studies, his life in Pakistan and what he intends to do in the future. Singh’s portrayal of Ahmed, torn between an understandable compulsion to flee, politeness and increasing interest in his new “mate,” is well nuanced. Ahmed’s fear is assuaged by Norms grand job of presenting engaging self-disclosure, and Singh delicately balances layers of fear, dignity and interest beautifully. Clooney’s portrayal of Norm is truthful in its rich portrayal of the kind of man many of us would prefer not to exist, the kind of Australian many of us know and, possibly even love as a grandfather, father, uncle or brother. Buzo’s writing gives us a man traumatized by war, struggling to come to terms with loss and social change, one who is complex, real- and dangerous. Norm is an ugly character who manipulates his interlocuter with outbursts of anger, immediate remorse, engaging charm and a level of sincerity difficult to read. He is like an Anglerfish emerging from the darkness, its light luring prey toward it.
Buzo’s script is not merely a museum piece, an insight into the zeitgeist of late ‘60s Australia, but one, unfortunately, of immediate relevance. Hartog’s capable direction brings that to the fore in cleverly managing the light and shade in this late- night encounter, one both terrifying and plausible.
Norm and Ahmed brought controversy to the theatre in 1968 and, realistically, still should – there are Norms out there, young and old, and they are not content to sit on a couch watching immigration on the TV news! Well worth the visit to the Bakehouse this evening!